Zacks Research Boosts Earnings Estimates for Virtu Financial

Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE:VIRT) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q2 2028 earnings estimates for shares of Virtu Financial in a note issued to investors on Monday, October 5th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.31 for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.30. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Virtu Financial’s current full-year earnings is $6.49 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Virtu Financial’s Q3 2028 earnings at $1.40 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $5.48 EPS.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share for the quarter. Virtu Financial had a net margin of 13.50% and a return on equity of 49.06%. The firm had revenue of $984.69 million during the quarter. Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on VIRT. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Wednesday, August 26th. 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. Evercore raised Virtu Financial to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday. Wall Street Zen cut Virtu Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $63.80.

Virtu Financial Stock Performance

Shares of VIRT stock opened at $58.81 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $59.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a current ratio of 0.45. Virtu Financial has a 1 year low of $31.55 and a 1 year high of $68.76. The firm has a market cap of $9.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.77, a PEG ratio of 0.45 and a beta of 0.65.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VIRT. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Virtu Financial by 10.7% during the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 25,377 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,512,000 after purchasing an additional 2,460 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Virtu Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $217,000. Tidal Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Virtu Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,792,000. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC acquired a new position in Virtu Financial during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $285,000. Finally, Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 68.1% during the 2nd quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 14,222 shares of the company’s stock worth $847,000 after buying an additional 5,762 shares in the last quarter. 45.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Virtu Financial

In other news, Director Joseph Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at approximately $2,060,625.16. This represents a 19.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 46.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Virtu Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 1st. Virtu Financial’s dividend payout ratio is presently 15.95%.

Virtu Financial News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded VIRT to Overweight from Neutral, signaling increased confidence in Virtu’s earnings outlook and potential for further appreciation. Virtu Financial Shares Rise After JPMorgan Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded Virtu Financial to Rank #2 (Buy), reflecting growing optimism about the company’s earnings prospects. Virtu Financial Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said Virtu could beat upcoming earnings estimates again, citing its strong earnings-surprise history and favorable current estimate trends. Why Virtu Financial Could Beat Earnings Estimates Again
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts modestly raised several EPS forecasts: Q4 2026 estimates increased to $1.26 from $1.25, while longer-term Q2 2028, Q3 2028, and FY2028 estimates each rose by $0.01. These revisions support the improving earnings narrative, although Zacks Research still rates the stock Hold. Q2 EPS Estimate for Virtu Financial Boosted
• Neutral Sentiment: Virtu will release third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on November 5 and hold a conference call at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. The announcement gives investors a defined near-term catalyst but contains no new operating results. Virtu Financial Third-Quarter 2026 Results Conference Call

Virtu Financial Company Profile

Virtu Financial, Inc is a global financial services company that provides liquidity and execution services to the financial markets. Through its market-making business, the company buys and sells securities across a range of asset classes, including equities, exchange-traded funds, options, fixed income, foreign exchange and commodities. Its activities help facilitate trading for investors and other market participants.

Virtu also provides institutional clients with technology, trading tools, analytics and workflow solutions through its execution services business.