Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) Stock Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ:VRTS) shares moved above their 200-day moving average on Monday, trading as high as $166.02 before last changing hands around $162.10.
• Analyst sentiment remains cautious overall: the stock has an average “Reduce” rating, with a consensus price target of $144.25 despite some recent target increases.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $2.40 per share, equal to an annualized yield of about 5.9%.

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS - Get Free Report)'s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $146.01 and traded as high as $166.02. Virtus Investment Partners shares last traded at $162.10, with a volume of 142,992 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VRTS. Barclays boosted their price objective on Virtus Investment Partners from $125.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $181.00 to $170.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $112.00 to $119.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $136.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $144.25.

Virtus Investment Partners Trading Down 1.4%

The company has a current ratio of 11.86, a quick ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $146.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $146.01. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.08 billion, a PE ratio of 9.59 and a beta of 1.38.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $2.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $9.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. Virtus Investment Partners's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 56.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Virtus Investment Partners

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners in the first quarter valued at about $26,000. Assetmark Inc. acquired a new position in Virtus Investment Partners during the first quarter worth about $36,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners by 86.2% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 270 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners by 269.9% in the fourth quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 307 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 90.4% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 316 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 150 shares during the period. 80.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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