Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT) COO Joseph Molluso Sells 200,000 Shares of Stock

Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIRT) COO Joseph Molluso sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.88, for a total transaction of $7,776,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 326,585 shares in the company, valued at $12,697,624.80. This represents a 37.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Virtu Financial Stock Up 1.1%

Shares of Virtu Financial stock opened at $39.81 on Friday. Virtu Financial, Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.55 and a 1-year high of $45.77. The company has a market capitalization of $6.09 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50, a P/E/G ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 0.49 and a quick ratio of 0.49. The business has a 50-day moving average of $36.12 and a 200-day moving average of $36.40.

Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.73. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 32.08% and a net margin of 10.43%.The firm had revenue of $969.89 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $513.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.14 earnings per share. Virtu Financial’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Virtu Financial, Inc. will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Virtu Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.24 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 18.71%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on VIRT shares. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Virtu Financial from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Virtu Financial from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised Virtu Financial from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price objective for the company in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $43.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp raised its stake in Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association acquired a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial during the 1st quarter worth approximately $222,000. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,934,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 13.4% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 226,233 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $8,624,000 after purchasing an additional 26,743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC boosted its position in Virtu Financial by 4.9% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 14,303 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $641,000 after purchasing an additional 668 shares during the period. 45.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Virtu Financial Company Profile

Virtu Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: VIRT) is a leading global electronic trading firm specializing in market making, liquidity provision and trade execution services across a broad range of asset classes. Leveraging advanced quantitative models and proprietary trading technology, Virtu provides continuous bid and ask quotes in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities and digital assets. The firm’s infrastructure is designed to operate at high speeds and low latencies, enabling tight spreads and efficient price discovery for its clients.

In addition to its market-making activities, Virtu offers agency execution services, algorithmic trading strategies and transaction cost analysis tools.