NEW YORK, July 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtu Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VIRT) a leading provider of global, multi-asset financial services that delivers liquidity and innovative, transparent products across the entire investment cycle to the global markets, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed its longtime Chief Technology Officer Aaron Simons as the company's new Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board. Mr. Simons succeeds Douglas Cifu who will retire as CEO and remain an ad ...

Core Viewpoint - Investors are encouraged to consider Virtu Financial (VIRT) due to solid improvements in earnings estimates and positive short-term price momentum [1][10]. Earnings Estimates - Analysts show growing optimism for Virtu Financial's earnings prospects, reflected in upward revisions of earnings estimates, which correlate strongly with stock price movements [2]. - For the current quarter, the expected earnings per share (EPS) is $1.26, marking a 51.8% increase from the previous year, with a 12.68% rise in consensus estimates over the last 30 days [6]. - For the full year, the expected EPS is $4.31, representing a year-over-year increase of 21.4%, with a 14.6% boost in consensus estimates during the same period [7][8]. Zacks Rank - Virtu Financial holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong agreement among analysts on upward revisions of earnings estimates, which historically leads to outperformance [3][9]. - Stocks with Zacks Rank 1 and 2 significantly outperform the S&P 500, suggesting a favorable investment outlook for Virtu Financial [9]. Stock Performance - Virtu Financial shares have increased by 5.7% over the past four weeks, indicating investor confidence in the company's earnings growth prospects [10].

Core Viewpoint - The analysis compares Virtu Financial (VIRT) and Moody's (MCO) to determine which stock is more attractive to value investors, highlighting VIRT's stronger earnings outlook and favorable valuation metrics [1][3][7]. Group 1: Zacks Rank and Earnings Outlook - Virtu Financial has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while Moody's has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3]. - VIRT is noted to have seen a stronger improvement in its earnings outlook compared to MCO [3][7]. Group 2: Valuation Metrics - VIRT has a forward P/E ratio of 10.67, significantly lower than MCO's forward P/E of 36.41 [5]. - The PEG ratio for VIRT is 0.63, while MCO's PEG ratio is 2.84, suggesting VIRT is more favorably valued in terms of expected earnings growth [5]. - VIRT's P/B ratio stands at 4.34, compared to MCO's P/B of 23.29, further indicating VIRT's relative undervaluation [6]. - These metrics contribute to VIRT's Value grade of B and MCO's Value grade of F [6].

Group 1 - Virtu Financial (VIRT) has surpassed resistance at the 20-day moving average, indicating a short-term bullish trend [1] - The stock has increased by 7.1% over the past four weeks, and it currently holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), suggesting potential for continued growth [4] - There have been two upward revisions in earnings estimates for the current fiscal year, with no downward revisions, further supporting the bullish outlook [4] Group 2 - The 20-day simple moving average (SMA) is a key technical indicator that helps traders identify short-term price trends and potential reversals [1][2] - A stock price above the 20-day SMA indicates a positive trend, while a price below suggests a downward trend [2] - Investors are encouraged to consider adding VIRT to their watchlist due to its strong technical indicators and positive earnings estimate revisions [5]

Core Viewpoint - Virtu Financial, Inc. is set to announce its second quarter 2025 financial results on July 30, 2025, before the US market opens [1] Company Overview - Virtu Financial is a leading provider of global, multi-asset financial services, utilizing advanced technology to deliver liquidity and innovative trading solutions [3] - The company offers a comprehensive product suite that includes execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics, and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms [3] - Virtu operates across more than 50 countries and multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income, and cryptocurrency [3] - The integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides pre-, intra-, and post-trade services, data products, and compliance tools for clients [3] Upcoming Events - A conference call to discuss the financial results will be held at 8:00 AM (EDT) on the announcement date, with a live webcast available [2]

Core Viewpoint - A federal securities fraud class action against Virtu Financial Inc. has survived a motion to dismiss, and a tentative settlement has been reached with the SEC regarding allegations of inadequate disclosures to investors [1][5]. Group 1: Allegations and Legal Proceedings - The class action complaint alleges that Virtu Financial Inc. and its officers made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose deficiencies in their information access policies, overstating operational and technological efficacy [3]. - The court found that from January 2018 to April 2019, proprietary traders at Virtu could access material non-public information using widely known credentials, indicating potential reckless disregard for investor information [4]. - The court concluded that the inference of scienter, or knowledge of misleading statements, was compelling based on circumstantial evidence of the defendants' failure to inform investors about the FS Database issue [4]. Group 2: Settlement and Shareholder Actions - On July 1, 2025, the SEC and Virtu Financial Inc. announced a tentative deal to resolve the lawsuit concerning inadequate customer data protection, with settlement terms acceptable to both parties [5]. - Current shareholders who held Virtu stock since on or before November 7, 2018, can seek corporate reforms and the return of litigation defense funds at no cost [2][5].

Group 1 - Momentum investing involves following a stock's recent trend, with the aim of buying high and selling higher, capitalizing on established price movements [1] - Virtu Financial (VIRT) currently holds a Momentum Style Score of A, indicating strong momentum characteristics [2] - The Zacks Rank for Virtu Financial is 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting that stocks with this rating and a Style Score of A or B tend to outperform the market in the following month [3] Group 2 - Over the past week, VIRT shares increased by 3.4%, while the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry remained flat [5] - In the last quarter, VIRT shares rose by 12.61%, and over the past year, they gained 84.71%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500, which increased by 5.61% and 10.35% respectively [6] - VIRT's average 20-day trading volume is 755,378 shares, indicating a bullish sign with rising stock prices [7] Group 3 - Recent earnings estimate revisions for VIRT show a positive trend, with 5 estimates moving higher and none lower, raising the consensus estimate from $3.66 to $3.98 over the past 60 days [9] - For the next fiscal year, 5 estimates have also moved upwards without any downward revisions, reinforcing the positive outlook for VIRT [9] Group 4 - Considering all factors, VIRT is classified as a 1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A, making it a promising near-term investment option [11]

Core Insights - The article compares two stocks, Virtu Financial (VIRT) and Moody's (MCO), to determine which is more attractive to value investors [1] Valuation Metrics - Virtu Financial has a forward P/E ratio of 10.05, while Moody's has a forward P/E of 35.65 [5] - The PEG ratio for Virtu Financial is 0.93, indicating a more favorable valuation compared to Moody's PEG ratio of 2.78 [5] - Virtu Financial's P/B ratio is 3.94, significantly lower than Moody's P/B ratio of 22.62 [6] Investment Ratings - Virtu Financial holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook, while Moody's has a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [3] - The Value grade for Virtu Financial is B, whereas Moody's has a Value grade of F, highlighting Virtu's superior valuation metrics [6]

Core Viewpoint - Virtu Financial (VIRT) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook on its earnings estimates, which significantly influence stock prices [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system is based on changes in earnings estimates, which are strongly correlated with stock price movements, particularly due to institutional investors' reliance on these estimates for valuation [4][6]. - An increase in earnings estimates typically leads to higher fair value for a stock, prompting institutional investors to buy or sell, thus affecting stock prices [4]. Company Performance and Outlook - The upgrade for Virtu Financial suggests an improvement in its underlying business, which should encourage investors to drive the stock price higher [5]. - Analysts have raised their earnings estimates for Virtu Financial, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 8.4% over the past three months [8]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a strong historical performance, particularly for Zacks Rank 1 stocks, which have averaged a +25% annual return since 1988 [7]. - Virtu Financial's upgrade to Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Core Insights - Virtu Financial and Limina have announced a strategic collaboration to enhance Virtu's TradeOPS platform, aimed at improving post-trade workflows for buyside firms [1][2]. Group 1: Collaboration Details - The collaboration focuses on integrating Virtu's TradeOPS with Limina's cloud-native Order and Portfolio Management System (O/PMS), providing a fully-integrated workflow for clients [2]. - The first joint client, Cliens, is already utilizing the combined capabilities of Virtu's TradeOPS and Limina's platform [3]. - The partnership aims to address operational challenges introduced by recent changes in post-trade settlement processes, such as the shift to T+1 [4]. Group 2: Company Profiles - Virtu Financial is a leading financial services firm that offers execution services, data analytics, and connectivity products across multiple asset classes and global markets [6]. - Limina provides a modern Investment Management Platform designed to enhance productivity and manage operational risks for investment managers [7]. - Cliens is a Swedish active fund manager focused on delivering long-term high returns through various investment strategies [8].