Virtus Investment Partners(US:VRTS)2025-10-24 15:02Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported total assets under management (AUM) of $169 billion as of September 30, which is slightly below the previous quarter level due to net outflows despite favorable market performance [8] - Earnings per share (EPS) increased to $6.69 from $6.25 in the second quarter, reflecting a 7% increase, while year-over-year EPS decreased by 3% due to lower average assets [10][19] - Operating margin improved by 170 basis points to 33%, with an incremental margin above 50% [10][18] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - The ETF business saw significant growth, with AUM reaching $4.7 billion, a 79% increase year-over-year, and the highest quarterly sales and net flows at $0.9 billion each [5][14] - Total sales increased by 12% to $6.3 billion, driven by higher sales in fixed income and alternative strategies [15] - Net outflows for the quarter were $3.9 billion, unchanged from the previous quarter, with institutional net outflows improving from $2.2 billion to $1.5 billion [8][15] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Positive net flows were observed in fixed income and alternative strategies, while equity strategies faced headwinds due to a focus on quality-oriented strategies [9][10] - The company noted that flows across products and asset classes in October were trending similarly to the third quarter, with strong ETF sales continuing [9] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to increase retail separate account offerings, expand ETF availability in key channels, and grow the wealth management business [4][5] - Inorganic growth opportunities remain a focus, with a disciplined approach to adding capabilities or increasing scale [7][28] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged the challenging environment for quality-oriented strategies, which have underperformed compared to momentum strategies over the past two years [27][33] - The company remains optimistic about the potential for quality strategies to regain favor, which could enhance performance and flows [27][33] Other Important Information - The company completed a debt refinancing, providing significant liquidity and flexibility to invest in the business and return capital to shareholders [11][20] - The quarterly dividend was increased for the eighth consecutive year, reflecting a commitment to returning capital to shareholders [5][11] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the key strategies attracting interest in ETFs? - Management indicated that both the ETF wrapper and specific strategies are driving interest, with a focus on expanding access and offerings [24][25] Question: Any updates on inorganic opportunities? - Management confirmed that the environment remains active for potential acquisitions, focusing on high-performing capabilities and private market expansion [26][28] Question: How to improve net flows moving forward? - Management highlighted positive flows in fixed income and alternative strategies, while addressing the need to grow areas less correlated to quality-oriented strategies [32][33] Question: Details on office space consolidation and operating expenses? - Management noted that the benefits of office consolidation are now reflected in the run rate, with expectations for lower operating expenses moving forward [37][38] Question: Status of discrete expenses and buyback activity? - Management stated that discrete expenses related to inorganic activities are ongoing, and buybacks remain a core part of the capital strategy [43][45]