AXQ Capital LP Makes New Investment in Virtu Financial, Inc. $VIRT

Key Points

• AXQ Capital LP initiated a position in Virtu Financial during the second quarter, purchasing 22,694 shares valued at approximately $1.35 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 45.78% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive but mixed: Virtu has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $58.80, below its reported trading price of $64.57. Recent targets range from $57 to $63, while ratings include Strong Buy, Buy, Hold and Sell.
• Virtu reported quarterly EPS of $1.82 on $984.69 million in revenue and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24, equal to an annualized $0.96 payout and a 1.5% yield. Two directors recently sold shares, and insiders own 46.76% of the stock.

AXQ Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 22,694 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,352,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VIRT. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its position in Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% in the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 942 shares in the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Virtu Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $222,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in Virtu Financial during the 1st quarter worth about $1,934,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 226,233 shares of the company's stock worth $8,624,000 after buying an additional 26,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning acquired a new position in shares of Virtu Financial during the 2nd quarter worth about $235,000. 45.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Virtu Financial

In other Virtu Financial news, Director Joseph Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $511,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 33,814 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,060,625.16. This trade represents a 19.90% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of Virtu Financial stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.13, for a total transaction of $546,822.22. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 30,902 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,858,137.26. This trade represents a 22.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 46.76% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Virtu Financial from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Zacks Research raised Virtu Financial from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Virtu Financial from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Virtu Financial presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $58.80.

Virtu Financial Trading Up 0.6%

Virtu Financial stock opened at $64.57 on Friday. Virtu Financial, Inc. has a 52 week low of $31.55 and a 52 week high of $68.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.45. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.73, a PEG ratio of 0.43 and a beta of 0.62. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.92 and a 200 day simple moving average of $52.90.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 49.06% and a net margin of 13.50%.The firm had revenue of $984.69 million for the quarter. Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS. Analysts expect that Virtu Financial, Inc. will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current year.

Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Virtu Financial's dividend payout ratio is 15.95%.

About Virtu Financial

Virtu Financial, Inc is a technology-driven electronic trading firm and market maker that provides liquidity and price discovery across a wide range of financial instruments. Leveraging advanced analytics, high-performance computing and proprietary algorithms, Virtu operates in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities and derivative products. Its technology platform is designed to capture bid-ask spreads in real time, manage risk through automated controls and adapt to changing market conditions.

The company offers a suite of execution services and market-making solutions to institutional clients such as asset managers, banks, broker-dealers and hedge funds.

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