Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) Receives Average Rating of “Reduce” from Brokerages

Shares of Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Reduce” from the five analysts that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $158.00.

VRTS has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $155.00 to $125.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Virtus Investment Partners from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, January 16th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $218.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. TD Cowen reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Virtus Investment Partners in a report on Monday. Finally, Barclays reduced their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $142.00 to $128.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Down 2.9%

Virtus Investment Partners stock opened at $138.09 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $922.72 million, a PE ratio of 8.17 and a beta of 1.47. Virtus Investment Partners has a twelve month low of $121.61 and a twelve month high of $215.06. The company has a quick ratio of 11.86, a current ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The company has a 50 day moving average of $135.54 and a 200-day moving average of $155.47.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 30th will be given a $2.40 dividend. This represents a $9.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 30th. Virtus Investment Partners’s payout ratio is currently 48.02%.

Insider Activity at Virtus Investment Partners

In other Virtus Investment Partners news, Director W Howard Morris acquired 2,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $129.34 per share, with a total value of $278,081.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 2,000 shares in the company, valued at $258,680. This trade represents a -1,433.33% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Virtus Investment Partners

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VRTS. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 109.4% in the third quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 229,357 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $43,585,000 after purchasing an additional 119,802 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 574.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 46,059 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $8,753,000 after purchasing an additional 39,233 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 101.1% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 77,937 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $12,715,000 after purchasing an additional 39,188 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 23.8% in the third quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 155,881 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $29,622,000 after purchasing an additional 29,919 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 220.5% in the third quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 37,737 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $7,171,000 after purchasing an additional 25,961 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.52% of the company’s stock.

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.