Traders Buy Large Volume of Virtu Financial Call Options (NYSE:VIRT)
by Tristan Rich · The Markets DailyVirtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT – Get Free Report) was the recipient of unusually large options trading activity on Thursday. Stock investors purchased 2,123 call options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 288% compared to the typical daily volume of 547 call options.
Virtu Financial Stock Down 3.9%
VIRT stock traded down $2.36 during trading on Thursday, reaching $57.62. The stock had a trading volume of 1,221,086 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,270,187. The company’s 50 day moving average is $59.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Virtu Financial has a one year low of $31.55 and a one year high of $68.02. The company has a market capitalization of $8.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.60.
Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $984.69 million for the quarter. Virtu Financial had a return on equity of 49.06% and a net margin of 13.50%.Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Virtu Financial will post 6.33 EPS for the current year.
Virtu Financial Announces Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 15.95%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
VIRT has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Virtu Financial from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Virtu Financial from $61.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 30th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Virtu Financial has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $58.80.
View Our Latest Stock Report on Virtu Financial
Insider Activity at Virtu Financial
In other news, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.13, for a total transaction of $546,822.22. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 30,902 shares in the company, valued at $1,858,137.26. This represents a 22.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 46.76% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Virtu Financial
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp lifted its position in Virtu Financial by 1,624.1% during the first quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 1,000 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 942 shares during the last quarter. United Services Automobile Association bought a new stake in Virtu Financial in the 1st quarter valued at $222,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Virtu Financial in the 1st quarter valued at $1,934,000. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its position in Virtu Financial by 13.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 226,233 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,624,000 after buying an additional 26,743 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Planning bought a new position in Virtu Financial during the second quarter worth about $235,000. 45.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
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.