Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT – Get Free Report) posted its earnings results on Thursday. The company reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.52 by $0.25, FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $956.39 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $647.02 million. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 49.06% and a net margin of 13.50%. Virtu Financial’s revenue for the quarter was up 147.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.05 earnings per share.
Here are the key takeaways from Virtu Financial’s conference call:
- Virtu reported third-quarter Adjusted Net Trading Income of $704 million, Adjusted EPS of $1.77 and a 62% Adjusted EBITDA margin. Trailing-12-month ANTI, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EPS were all company records.
- Market Making held up better than the sequential decline in U.S. equity volumes and volatility, which management attributed in part to activity across international markets, crypto and other products. Executives said diversification should make results less correlated with U.S. equity metrics over time.
- Virtu’s trading capital reached $3.4 billion after a $500 million debt issuance, with trailing debt-to-EBITDA of 1.4x; the company maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.24 per share. Management said it could deploy the new capital while retaining internal buffers, though slower activity can reduce capital usage.
- Management described Virtu Execution Services as a strategic, global business serving 1,400 clients and declined to comment on reports of a potential sale. It said the company does not need an asset sale to pursue its medium-term capital goals.
- Market volumes and volatility moderated from the first half, even though they remained above historical averages. Virtu also expects continued hiring and technology investment, with expenses having risen in line with expectations.
Virtu Financial Price Performance
NYSE VIRT traded up $0.10 on Friday, hitting $54.05. The company had a trading volume of 1,030,222 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,040,930. The company has a market capitalization of $8.39 billion, a PE ratio of 7.94, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.67. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $57.63 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a current ratio of 0.45 and a quick ratio of 0.45. Virtu Financial has a 12-month low of $31.55 and a 12-month high of $68.76.
Virtu Financial Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be paid a $0.24 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.8%. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 15.95%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of brokerages have issued reports on VIRT. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Zacks Research cut shares of Virtu Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Evercore upgraded shares of Virtu Financial to an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Virtu Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a research report on Wednesday, August 26th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $68.25.
Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Virtu Financial
Key Virtu Financial News
Here are the key news stories impacting Virtu Financial this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q3 earnings were $1.77 per share, ahead of the $1.52 analyst consensus, while revenue of $956.4 million substantially exceeded estimates of about $647 million and rose 147.1% year over year. The earnings beat and sharp revenue growth may support investor optimism. Virtu Financial Surpasses Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
- Neutral Sentiment: Virtu maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.24 per share, equivalent to $0.96 annually and a stated yield of 1.8%. It also outlined a near-term trading-capital goal of around $4 billion or more; the available report does not detail the expected financial impact of that target. Virtu outlines trading capital goal and dividend
Insider Activity
In other news, Director Joseph Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total transaction of $511,896.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 33,814 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,060,625.16. The trade was a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.13, for a total value of $546,822.22. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 30,902 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,858,137.26. The trade was a 22.74% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 46.76% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
Virtu Financial Company Profile
Virtu Financial, Inc is a global financial services company that provides liquidity, trading, and technology solutions to the financial markets. Through its market-making business, Virtu facilitates trading in a broad range of products, including equities, exchange-traded funds, options, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities, and certain digital assets.
The company also operates an execution services business that provides trading and workflow technology to institutional investors, asset managers, broker-dealers, and other financial institutions.
Further Reading
- Five stocks we like better than Virtu Financial
- Dutch Bros Gave Wall Street What It Wanted, So Why Did the Stock Crater?
- Astera Labs Just Crushed Earnings—So Why Are Analysts Cutting Price Targets?
- Sandisk Shares Are Oversold: Bargain or Value Trap?
- IonQ’s Record Revenue Includes a Big SkyWater Boost: Does That Change the Story?
Receive News & Ratings for Virtu Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Virtu Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
