Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Virtu from $36 to $39 but kept an underweight rating, with the new target implying about a ~21% downside from the current share price.
• Analyst views are mixed—Zacks and Weiss upgraded to Strong‑Buy/Buy and Piper Sandler lifted its target to $61 (overweight), yet the consensus remains a Hold with an average price target of $44.43.
• Virtu delivered a sizable earnings beat (Q1 EPS $1.85 vs. $1.12 est; revenue $969.9M vs. $513.5M est) and hit a 52‑week high, while insiders sold roughly 270,000 shares (~$10.5M) in the past 90 days.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT - Get Free Report) had its target price boosted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $36.00 to $39.00 in a note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley's price target points to a potential downside of 21.39% from the stock's current price.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised Virtu Financial from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Virtu Financial from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Virtu Financial from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $57.00 to $61.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 20th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Virtu Financial has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $44.43.

Virtu Financial Stock Performance

Shares of VIRT stock opened at $49.61 on Friday. Virtu Financial has a 12-month low of $31.55 and a 12-month high of $49.73. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $41.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $36.94. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The company has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a PE ratio of 9.67, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.54.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The company reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.73. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 48.35% and a net margin of 12.90%.The company had revenue of $969.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $513.51 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 16.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Joseph Molluso sold 200,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.88, for a total value of $7,776,000.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 326,585 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,697,624.80. This trade represents a 37.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Stephen Cavoli sold 28,370 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.94, for a total value of $1,104,727.80. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 116,191 shares in the company, valued at $4,524,477.54. This represents a 19.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold 270,000 shares of company stock worth $10,458,644 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 47.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Virtu Financial

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp increased its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new position in Virtu Financial in the first quarter valued at approximately $222,000. Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new position in Virtu Financial in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,934,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in Virtu Financial by 13.4% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 226,233 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,624,000 after purchasing an additional 26,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning acquired a new stake in Virtu Financial during the second quarter worth approximately $235,000. 45.78% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Virtu Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Virtu Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised near‑term and FY2027 EPS forecasts and assigned a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), reflecting slightly higher Q1/Q2 and FY2027 estimates and signaling upside to consensus estimates. Virtu Financial (VIRT) Upgraded to Strong Buy: Here's What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $61 and flagged the potential for a “BIG quarter” (record volumes ahead), supporting expectations for stronger Q1 revenue and trading income. Virtu Financial (VIRT) Eyes a “Big Quarter” – Record Volumes Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added VIRT to momentum and new Strong‑Buy stock lists for April 9, which can increase buy-side attention and short‑term flows. New Strong Buy Stocks for April 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage highlights include VIRT hitting a 52‑week high and being named among the most profitable stocks in its sector — both reinforce momentum and sentiment improvement. Virtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Positive Sentiment: Mainstream coverage (WSJ) noted Virtu’s windfall from recent market volatility, underscoring how higher intraday volatility and volumes can boost the firm’s trading revenues. Rough Markets Create a Windfall for Virtu Financial
• Positive Sentiment: Listings in sector profit rankings and positive commentary across outlets increase visibility among institutional investors and hedge funds. 5 Most Profitable Stocks In Each Sector So Far in 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader Zacks commentary urging use of earnings‑surprise tools to find finance stocks may boost interest, but is not specific company guidance. Why Investors Need to Take Advantage of These 2 Finance Stocks Now

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.