Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) Reaches New 12-Month Low - Here's What Happened

Key Points

• Virtus Investment Partners hit a new 52-week low of $126.11 (last at $126.495) on Friday with about 45,349 shares traded, and the stock is trading well below its 50‑day ($152.37) and 200‑day ($167.97) moving averages, signaling a downtrend.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed but cautious — the consensus rating on MarketBeat is Reduce with an average price target of $169, comprised of 1 Buy, 2 Hold and 2 Sell ratings, and several firms have recently lowered targets.
• Virtus pays a hefty dividend of $2.40 quarterly (annualized yield 7.6%, ex‑dividend April 30, payable May 13); the company has a market cap of ~$846.3M, a P/E of 7.48 and roughly 80.5% institutional ownership.

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS - Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $126.11 and last traded at $126.4950, with a volume of 45349 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $127.69.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have commented on VRTS. Barclays reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and issued a $142.00 target price on shares of Virtus Investment Partners in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Virtus Investment Partners from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Virtus Investment Partners from $180.00 to $173.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Virtus Investment Partners from $168.00 to $155.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Virtus Investment Partners presently has an average rating of "Reduce" and an average price target of $169.00.

Virtus Investment Partners Trading Down 1.0%

The company has a market cap of $846.28 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.48 and a beta of 1.47. The company has a quick ratio of 11.86, a current ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $152.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $167.97.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be issued a $2.40 dividend. This represents a $9.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. Virtus Investment Partners's dividend payout ratio is presently 48.02%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Virtus Investment Partners

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 109.4% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 229,357 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $43,585,000 after purchasing an additional 119,802 shares during the last quarter. AlphaQuest LLC lifted its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 224.8% in the 3rd quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 10,944 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $2,080,000 after acquiring an additional 7,575 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas boosted its holdings in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 2,043.0% in the third quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 26,059 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $4,952,000 after acquiring an additional 24,843 shares in the last quarter. CenterBook Partners LP increased its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 261.8% during the third quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 14,054 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $2,671,000 after acquiring an additional 10,170 shares during the period. Finally, Kingsview Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners during the third quarter worth about $3,307,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.52% of the company's stock.

Virtus Investment Partners Company Profile

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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