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Virtu Financial (VIRT)
NYSE:VIRT
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Virtu Financial (VIRT) AI Stock Analysis

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VIRT

Virtu Financial

(NYSE:VIRT)

Rating:78Outperform
Price Target:
$47.00
▲(16.25% Upside)
Virtu Financial's strong financial performance and strategic growth initiatives are the most significant factors driving its stock score. The company's robust profitability, efficient cash flow management, and low valuation make it an attractive investment. While the leadership transition introduces some uncertainty, the positive sentiment around the new CEO and ongoing strategic initiatives mitigate these concerns.
Positive Factors
Business Performance
Virtu's Execution Services business has become a successful exemplar of M&A integration and synergy generation with acquisitions enhancing their tech platforms and analytic tools.
Financial Performance
The company posted its sixth consecutive quarter of increasing revenue in its Execution Services, achieving its best result since early 2022.
Growth Initiatives
Newer business initiatives are accelerating, with contributions from options market-making, ETF blocks, and crypto significantly impacting the firm's strong performance.
Negative Factors
Earnings Outlook
The EPS estimate for Virtu Financial Inc's second quarter is reduced by 8% to $1.44, showing a decline in expected earnings.
Market Conditions
Concerns have risen that volumes and spreads could experience a meaningful decline in the second half of 2025, particularly in the retail channel.
Revenue Forecast
Market making revenues for Virtu Financial Inc are revised down by 6% due to subdued notional value traded across equity markets.

Virtu Financial (VIRT) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Virtu Financial Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionVirtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT) is a leading technology-enabled market maker and liquidity provider in the global financial markets. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York City, the company operates in sectors such as electronic trading, financial technology, and capital markets. Virtu's core services include market making across various asset classes, including equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, and commodities, leveraging advanced algorithms and technology to facilitate efficient trading and liquidity.
How the Company Makes MoneyVirtu Financial generates revenue primarily through its market-making activities, where it earns profits from the bid-ask spread when buying and selling securities. This involves providing liquidity by continuously quoting prices for various financial instruments, allowing other market participants to transact. The company also earns revenues from trading activities, including proprietary trading, where it trades its own capital to capture market opportunities. Additionally, Virtu benefits from transaction fees and commissions on trades executed on exchanges and other trading platforms. Significant partnerships with exchanges and trading venues enhance its trading capabilities, while robust technology infrastructure allows for high-frequency trading, optimizing profit margins.

Virtu Financial Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jul 30, 2025
(Q2-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Oct 30, 2025
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The earnings call highlighted strong financial performance, strategic growth in digital assets and ETFs, and effective capital deployment through share repurchases. Despite the positive financial metrics, the announcement of CEO Douglas Cifu's retirement and the early-stage nature of overnight trading expansion present challenges.
Q2-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Adjusted Net Trading Income
Virtu reported $568 million in adjusted net trading income, marking a significant high. This was driven by market turmoil and strategic growth initiatives.
Strong Performance Across Market Segments
Market Making contributed $451 million and Execution Services contributed $116 million to the overall income. Growth initiatives were particularly strong, reaching an all-time high of $1.3 million per day.
Growth in Digital Assets and ETFs
The digital asset desk and ETF block franchise showed strong performance, with growth in market share and client lists globally.
Strong Adjusted EBITDA Margin
Virtu achieved an adjusted EBITDA margin of 65%, the highest since Q1 2022, due to disciplined expense management.
Significant Share Repurchase Program
Virtu repurchased $66 million worth of shares in Q2 2025 and $135 million year-to-date, reflecting a strategic capital deployment.
Negative Updates
Leadership Transition
CEO Douglas Cifu announced his retirement, which could create uncertainty during the transition period to new leadership.
Challenges in Overnight Trading Expansion
Overnight trading remains predominantly retail-driven, with its growth and institutional uptake still in early stages.
Company Guidance
During the second quarter of 2025, Virtu Financial achieved significant milestones, including a record $568 million in adjusted net trading income, translating to $9.2 million per day, and an adjusted EPS of $1.53. Their Market Making and Execution Services contributed $451 million and $116 million, respectively, with growth initiatives driving $1.3 million per day, representing 15% of total adjusted net trading income. Notable performances were seen in their ETF block franchise and global digital asset desk, driven by market volatility and strong retail engagement. The firm maintained an impressive adjusted EBITDA margin of 65%, achieved through disciplined expense management, with adjusted cash operating expenses at $198 million and a compensation ratio of 19% including cash. Virtu's strategic initiatives, such as overnight equity trading and expanding digital asset capabilities, are expected to further enhance growth. The company's balance sheet remains robust, with over $2 billion in trading capital and a debt to LTM adjusted EBITDA ratio of 1.5x. Virtu has also repurchased $66 million worth of shares in Q2, totaling $135 million year-to-date. With the upcoming leadership transition to Aaron Simons as CEO, Virtu is poised to continue its trajectory of growth and innovation.

Virtu Financial Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Virtu Financial demonstrates strong financial health with excellent profitability, efficient cash flow management, and moderate leverage. While revenue growth has been inconsistent, the company maintains high margins and robust cash flows, positioning it well within the capital markets industry.
Income Statement
82
Very Positive
Virtu Financial's income statement reveals strong profitability with a gross profit margin of 81.34% and a net profit margin of 27.95% for the TTM, indicating efficient cost management and healthy earnings. The EBIT and EBITDA margins are also robust at 30.74% and 69.74%, respectively. However, revenue growth has been volatile, showing a TTM growth rate of 0.77% after a decline the previous year, suggesting some instability in revenue generation.
Balance Sheet
75
Positive
The balance sheet shows a moderate debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, indicating a conservative leverage approach. The return on equity is impressive at 51.89% for the TTM, highlighting efficient use of equity. The equity ratio stands at 8.90%, slightly low, suggesting a risk of over-leverage in case of fluctuating market conditions. Overall, the balance sheet is stable but with potential vulnerability due to low equity support.
Cash Flow
88
Very Positive
Cash flow analysis shows strong operational performance with an operating cash flow to net income ratio of 1.25, indicating good cash generation relative to earnings. The free cash flow has grown significantly, with a TTM free cash flow of $986.52 million, up from $544.68 million the previous year, reflecting robust cash management. The free cash flow to net income ratio is 1.22, suggesting efficient conversion of profits into cash.
BreakdownTTMDec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue3.07B2.88B2.29B2.36B2.81B3.24B
Gross Profit1.86B1.77B1.39B1.35B1.69B2.09B
EBITDA1.48B1.39B1.05B1.01B1.35B1.74B
Net Income320.28M276.42M142.04M265.03M476.88M649.20M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets17.55B15.36B14.47B10.58B10.32B9.97B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments723.65M872.51M820.44M981.58M1.07B889.56M
Total Debt1.74B1.74B1.73B1.80B1.61B1.64B
Total Liabilities15.99B13.87B13.06B1.80B1.61B1.64B
Stockholders Equity1.31B1.25B1.20B1.34B1.55B1.47B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow956.86M544.68M454.00M679.60M1.15B1.03B
Operating Cash Flow1.01B598.99M491.78M706.80M1.17B1.06B
Investing Cash Flow-65.38M-61.85M-94.48M-29.53M-87.35M-2.56M
Financing Cash Flow-601.60M-469.56M-585.03M-735.75M-957.86M-839.92M

Virtu Financial Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price40.43
Price Trends
50DMA
42.85
Negative
100DMA
41.57
Negative
200DMA
38.91
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.35
Positive
RSI
35.50
Neutral
STOCH
20.77
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For VIRT, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 40.43 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 41.71, below the 50-day MA of 42.85, and above the 200-day MA of 38.91, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.35 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 35.50 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 20.77 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for VIRT.

Virtu Financial Risk Analysis

Virtu Financial disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Virtu Financial reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Virtu Financial Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
78
Outperform
$6.32B9.3928.75%2.37%25.12%122.80%
78
Outperform
$28.45B33.5119.15%0.78%12.30%20.76%
74
Outperform
$174.48B25.8815.59%1.09%4.64%54.26%
73
Outperform
$29.55B48.179.51%0.37%27.97%28.39%
69
Neutral
$5.02B17.7516.01%53.19%23.89%
68
Neutral
$18.05B11.7310.24%3.73%9.66%1.70%
67
Neutral
$6.73B30.5516.41%1.68%8.30%-14.39%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
VIRT
Virtu Financial
40.43
10.06
33.12%
IBKR
Interactive Brokers
64.28
33.81
110.96%
SNEX
StoneX Group
104.56
53.03
102.91%
MKTX
Marketaxess Holdings
180.13
-73.10
-28.87%
SCHW
Charles Schwab
97.63
35.53
57.21%
TW
Tradeweb Markets
123.39
11.96
10.73%

Virtu Financial Corporate Events

Executive/Board ChangesBusiness Operations and Strategy
Virtu Financial Announces New CEO Appointment
Positive
Jul 31, 2025

On July 30, 2025, Virtu Financial announced that Aaron Simons, the current Chief Technology Officer, will be appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer effective August 1, 2025, succeeding Douglas A. Cifu. Mr. Cifu will transition to a consultant role until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. This leadership change is part of Virtu’s long-term planning and reflects the company’s confidence in Mr. Simons’ leadership and vision to continue building on the company’s momentum and strategic direction. Mr. Simons, who has been with Virtu since 2008, brings extensive experience in technology and trading, which is expected to benefit Virtu’s operations and market positioning.

Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Virtu Financial Confirms Key Decisions at Annual Meeting
Neutral
Jun 3, 2025

On June 2, 2025, Virtu Financial, Inc. held its annual meeting of stockholders where several key decisions were made. The election of Class I directors for a three-year term, approval of executive compensation, and the continuation of annual advisory votes on executive pay were confirmed. Additionally, the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent auditor for the fiscal year 2025 was ratified, and amendments to the Management Incentive Plan were approved, impacting the company’s governance and compensation strategies.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Sep 03, 2025