HighTower Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT – Free Report) by 68.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 28,936 shares of the company’s stock after selling 64,241 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC’s holdings in Virtu Financial were worth $964,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its position in Virtu Financial by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 161,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,378,000 after purchasing an additional 2,630 shares during the period. Barr E S & Co. purchased a new stake in Virtu Financial during the fourth quarter worth $346,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in Virtu Financial by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 78,382 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,611,000 after buying an additional 4,594 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in Virtu Financial by 33.7% during the fourth quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,426 shares of the company’s stock worth $81,000 after buying an additional 611 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in Virtu Financial by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 18,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $608,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 45.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Virtu Financial Stock Performance
VIRT opened at $52.15 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 0.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92. The company has a market cap of $8.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.63, a PEG ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.61. Virtu Financial, Inc. has a 52-week low of $31.55 and a 52-week high of $56.48. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $49.81 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.51.
Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.24 per share. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.89%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts recently issued reports on VIRT shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Virtu Financial from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $46.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $36.00 to $39.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Friday, April 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $44.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Friday, May 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $48.67.
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Virtu Financial
Insider Transactions at Virtu Financial
In other Virtu Financial news, COO Brett Fairclough sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $50.06, for a total transaction of $1,501,800.00. Following the transaction, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 46.76% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.
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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