Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) Given New $125.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley cut its price target on Virtus from $155 to $125 and kept an underweight rating, implying roughly a 6.41% downside from the current share price.
• The consensus across analysts is Reduce (average target $161.50) with a 1 Buy / 2 Hold / 2 Sell split; shares trade around $133.57 (52-week range $124.70–$215.06), and an insider recently purchased 2,150 shares at $129.34.

Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS - Get Free Report) had its price target lowered by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $155.00 to $125.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an "underweight" rating on the closed-end fund's stock. Morgan Stanley's target price would indicate a potential downside of 6.41% from the stock's current price.

Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Virtus Investment Partners from $180.00 to $173.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Barclays restated an "underweight" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Virtus Investment Partners from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, January 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and an average target price of $161.50.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Performance

NASDAQ:VRTS opened at $133.57 on Wednesday. Virtus Investment Partners has a fifty-two week low of $124.70 and a fifty-two week high of $215.06. The firm has a market cap of $894.22 million, a PE ratio of 7.95 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 11.86 and a current ratio of 11.86. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $142.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $161.30.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director W Howard Morris purchased 2,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $129.34 per share, with a total value of $278,081.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 2,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at $258,680. This trade represents a -1,433.33% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 6.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. NBT Bank N A NY lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 1,483.3% in the third quarter. NBT Bank N A NY now owns 190 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd raised its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 269.9% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 307 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners by 90.4% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 316 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners by 24.1% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 499 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 117.0% in the 4th quarter. Advisors Asset Management Inc. now owns 588 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $96,000 after purchasing an additional 317 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.52% of the company's stock.

About Virtus Investment Partners

Virtus Investment Partners NASDAQ: VRTS is a publicly traded investment management company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. The firm offers a broad range of investment solutions to institutional, high-net-wealth, and retail investors, drawing on the expertise of multiple affiliated investment teams. Since its founding in 1995, Virtus has grown by integrating specialized asset managers and expanding its product lineup, while maintaining a focus on active management across diverse market environments.

The company's product suite encompasses mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), collective trusts, UCITS funds, and separately managed accounts.

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