Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Virtu Financial’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.15 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.25 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.13 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $6.14 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.44 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.35 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.36 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.45 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.43 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.48 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.49 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $5.74 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $5.73 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $5.71 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.39 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.30 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.31 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $5.48 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $5.43 EPS.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on VIRT. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Wednesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Virtu Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 30th. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Virtu Financial from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $61.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Virtu Financial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.80.

Virtu Financial Stock Performance

NYSE:VIRT opened at $66.96 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $10.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.12, a PEG ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 0.60. Virtu Financial has a 1 year low of $31.55 and a 1 year high of $68.68. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $60.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $51.89. 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 (NYSE:VIRT) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Virtu Financial had a net margin of 13.50% and a return on equity of 49.06%. The company had revenue of $984.69 million for the quarter. Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Virtu Financial will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Virtu Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Virtu Financial’s payout ratio is 15.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Joseph J. Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $1,858,137.26. The trade was a 22.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 46.76% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VIRT. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its position in Virtu Financial by 5,841.5% in the second quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 5,676,842 shares of the company’s stock valued at $338,169,000 after buying an additional 5,581,297 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in Virtu Financial by 64.2% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,370,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $84,149,000 after purchasing an additional 926,376 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in Virtu Financial by 290.3% in the fourth quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,132,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,730,000 after purchasing an additional 842,247 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 565.4% during the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 815,143 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,161,000 after buying an additional 692,643 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Algebris UK Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $22,377,000. 45.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Virtu Financial News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Upward earnings revisions: Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $5.74 from $5.73 and its FY2028 forecast to $5.48 from $5.43. The firm also increased its estimates for Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 of FY2027, as well as Q2 FY2028, by $0.01 to $0.02 per share. These revisions indicate slightly improved expectations for Virtu’s future profitability. Virtu Financial analyst estimate revisions
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks momentum and Strong Buy recognition: Virtu was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists for both momentum and new Strong Buy stocks on August 27. This could attract additional momentum-oriented investor interest, although it contrasts with Zacks Research’s separate Hold rating. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for August 27th New Strong Buy Stocks for August 27th
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation discussion: A Zacks comparison of Virtu and Moody’s examines which stock offers better value, but the article does not provide a clear new company-specific catalyst in the supplied information. VIRT vs. MCO: Which Stock Is the Better Value Option?
• Neutral Sentiment: On-chain repo transaction: The reported completion of a fully on-chain repo transaction using a sovereign digital bond may highlight broader financial-market infrastructure trends, but no direct impact on Virtu’s operations or earnings was identified. First Fully Onchain Repo Transaction Completed Using a Sovereign Digital Bond

About Virtu Financial

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.