Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report released 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.

VIRT has been the subject of a number of other reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target 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. Wall Street Zen cut Virtu Financial from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Virtu Financial in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on Virtu Financial from $39.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $59.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $58.80.

Virtu Financial Stock Performance

Shares of VIRT opened at $66.96 on Wednesday. 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 52-week low of $31.55 and a 52-week high of $68.68. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.89. The company has a market capitalization of $10.39 billion, a PE ratio of 11.12, a P/E/G ratio of 0.44 and a beta of 0.60.

Virtu Financial (NYSE:VIRT) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 14th. The company reported $1.82 EPS 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 for the quarter. Virtu Financial has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.820-1.820 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Virtu Financial will post 6.38 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director John Nixon sold 9,094 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the director directly owned 30,902 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,858,137.26. This trade represents a 22.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph J. Grano, Jr. sold 8,400 shares of Virtu Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.94, for a total value of $511,896.00. Following the transaction, 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 46.76% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Virtu Financial

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VIRT. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 4.3% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $376,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 12,939 shares of the company’s stock valued at $431,000 after acquiring an additional 275 shares during the last quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Virtu Financial by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Optimist Retirement Group LLC now owns 8,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $276,000 after acquiring an additional 279 shares during the last quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in Virtu Financial by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,868 shares of the company’s stock worth $62,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its position in Virtu Financial by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 18,237 shares of the company’s stock worth $608,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 45.78% of the company’s stock.

More 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.