Earnings Growth & Price Strength Make Virtu Financial (VIRT) a Stock to Watch

Core Insights - Zacks Premium offers various tools for investors to identify stocks to buy, sell, and track hot industries [1] - The Focus List is a long-term portfolio of 50 stocks expected to outperform the market over the next 12 months [3][4] Performance Metrics - In 2020, the Focus List gained 13.85% annually, outperforming the S&P 500's 9.38% return [5] - Cumulatively, from February 1, 1996 to March 31, 2021, the Focus List returned 2,519.23%, while the S&P returned 854.95% [5] Selection Methodology - Stocks for the Focus List are selected based on earnings estimate revisions, which reflect growth and profitability expectations [6] - The Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock-rating model, utilizes changes in quarterly earnings expectations to aid in stock selection [8][9] Earnings Estimate Insights - Upward revisions in earnings estimates often lead to further positive changes, indicating potential price momentum [7][10] - The Focus List includes stocks ranked 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), indicating a bullish consensus among analysts [9] Spotlight on Virtu Financial - Virtu Financial, a market-leading financial services firm, was added to the Focus List on July 31, 2023, at $18.90 per share, and has since increased by 62.22% to $30.66 [10][11] - For fiscal 2024, Virtu's earnings estimate has increased by $0.29 to $2.79, with an expected growth of 51.6% for the current fiscal year [11]