Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) Shares Gap Down - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Shares gapped down before trading — the stock closed at $145.55, opened at $135.90 and was last quoted at $127.15 on light volume, trading below its 50‑day ($136.05) and 200‑day ($153.68) moving averages.
• Analyst sentiment is negative: MarketBeat shows a consensus rating of "Reduce" with multiple price‑target cuts (e.g., Morgan Stanley to $125, Barclays to $128) amid one Buy, two Hold and two Sell ratings, while the aggregate target price is $158.00.
• Virtus yields a high dividend — $2.40 quarterly ($9.60 annualized) for a 7.0% yield

Shares of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Friday . The stock had previously closed at $145.55, but opened at $135.90. Virtus Investment Partners shares last traded at $127.15, with a volume of 7,076 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Virtus Investment Partners from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Virtus Investment Partners in a report on Monday, April 20th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $155.00 to $125.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. Finally, Barclays cut their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $142.00 to $128.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Virtus Investment Partners currently has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $158.00.

Virtus Investment Partners Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $912.33 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.08 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $136.05 and a 200 day moving average of $153.68.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 30th will be paid a dividend of $2.40 per share. This represents a $9.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. Virtus Investment Partners's payout ratio is presently 48.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director W Howard Morris bought 2,150 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $129.34 per share, with a total value of $278,081.00. Following the purchase, 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 position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 6.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. State Street Corp grew its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 306,375 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $49,985,000 after purchasing an additional 1,586 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 300,098 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $48,961,000 after acquiring an additional 2,917 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 297,128 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $48,477,000 after acquiring an additional 6,885 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 7.0% during the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 245,344 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $40,028,000 after acquiring an additional 15,987 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 23.8% during the 3rd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 155,881 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $29,622,000 after acquiring an additional 29,919 shares in the last quarter. 80.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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