Zacks Research Predicts Reduced Earnings for Virtu Financial

Key Points

• Zacks Research trimmed its FY2026 earnings estimate for Virtu Financial to $5.73 per share from $5.74 and kept a Hold rating, below the current consensus estimate of $6.10.
• Virtu just reported Q2 EPS of $1.82 on revenue of $718 million, and the company reiterated Q2 2026 EPS guidance at $1.82, signaling solid near-term performance.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: several firms have raised price targets, but the overall Wall Street view is still Hold, with an average price target of $55.17.

Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT - Free Report) - Research analysts at Zacks Research decreased their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Virtu Financial in a research report issued on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $5.73 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $5.74. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Virtu Financial's current full-year earnings is $6.10 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Virtu Financial's FY2027 earnings at $5.15 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $4.75 EPS.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 EPS for the quarter. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 51.63% and a net margin of 14.17%.The company had revenue of $718.00 million for the quarter. Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $44.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Virtu Financial from $61.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Virtu Financial from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Sunday. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Virtu Financial from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, June 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Virtu Financial currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $55.17.

Virtu Financial Stock Performance

NYSE VIRT opened at $60.74 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $56.87 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $46.74. Virtu Financial has a 12-month low of $31.55 and a 12-month high of $68.02. The company has a market capitalization of $9.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.06, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92.

Virtu Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 1st were issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 1st. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Virtu Financial's payout ratio is 15.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Virtu Financial

In related news, COO Brett Fairclough sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total value of $1,501,800.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer directly owned 42,473 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,126,198.38. This trade represents a 41.39% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 46.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 103.8% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 760 shares of the company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Virtu Financial by 480.6% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 836 shares of the company's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 692 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC raised its holdings in Virtu Financial by 51.9% in the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 972 shares of the company's stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Virtu Financial during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its holdings in Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% during the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the company's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the last quarter. 45.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Virtu Financial

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

• Positive Sentiment: Virtu reported second-quarter EPS of $1.82, beating expectations and highlighting strong profitability. Virtu Financial quarterly earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised/confirmed Q2 2026 EPS guidance at $1.82, well above the market consensus of about $1.47. Virtu preliminary Q2 results and term loan announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Virtu was added to several Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists, including value, income, and general strong-buy screens, which may boost investor sentiment. New Strong Buy Stocks for July 15th
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Virtu as a strong value stock, supporting the valuation case for the shares. Here's Why Virtu Financial (VIRT) is a Strong Value Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Virtu announced preliminary Q2 results while also starting marketing for an incremental $400 million term loan, a financing move that is not clearly positive or negative on its own. Virtu preliminary Q2 results and term loan announcement
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research reportedly downgraded Virtu Financial from strong-buy to hold, which could limit some upside. Virtu Financial downgrade report

Virtu Financial Company Profile

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.

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