Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT) COO Joseph Molluso Sells 200,000 Shares of Stock

February 21, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

COO Joseph Molluso sold 200,000 shares at an average price of $38.88 for proceeds of $7.776 million, trimming his stake by 37.98% to 326,585 shares (≈$12.7M).
Virtu sharply beat expectations, reporting $1.85 EPS vs. $1.12 expected and revenue of $969.9 million (vs. $513.5M expected), with revenue up 16.3% year‑over‑year.
The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.24 (annualized $0.96, yield ~2.4%), payable March 16 with record and ex‑dividend dates on February 27.

Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIRT - Get Free Report) COO Joseph Molluso sold 200,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.88, for a total transaction of $7,776,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 326,585 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,697,624.80. This trade represents a 37.98% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Virtu Financial Stock Up 1.1%

VIRT stock opened at $39.81 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a PE ratio of 11.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.61. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $36.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.40. Virtu Financial, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.55 and a fifty-two week high of $45.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.11.

Virtu Financial (NASDAQ:VIRT - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.73. Virtu Financial had a net margin of 10.43% and a return on equity of 32.08%. The firm had revenue of $969.89 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $513.51 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 EPS. Virtu Financial's quarterly revenue was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Virtu Financial, Inc. will post 3.13 EPS for the current year.

Virtu Financial Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a $0.24 dividend. This represents a $0.96 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. Virtu Financial's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.71%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Bank of America raised Virtu Financial from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price target on the stock in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Virtu Financial from $51.00 to $54.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on shares of Virtu Financial from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $43.00.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Virtu Financial

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Virtu Financial

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Summit Global Investments acquired a new stake in shares of Virtu Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,109,000. Pullen Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 842.9% in the 3rd quarter. Pullen Investment Management LLC now owns 61,154 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,171,000 after acquiring an additional 54,668 shares during the last quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd raised its position in shares of Virtu Financial by 59.8% during the third quarter. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd now owns 90,206 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,202,000 after purchasing an additional 33,762 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Virtu Financial by 23.2% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,183,268 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,373,000 after purchasing an additional 222,862 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Virtu Financial by 114,887.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 26,447 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $939,000 after purchasing an additional 26,424 shares during the period. 45.78% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Virtu Financial

(Get Free Report)

Virtu Financial, Inc (NASDAQ: VIRT) is a leading global electronic trading firm specializing in market making, liquidity provision and trade execution services across a broad range of asset classes. Leveraging advanced quantitative models and proprietary trading technology, Virtu provides continuous bid and ask quotes in equities, fixed income, foreign exchange, commodities and digital assets. The firm's infrastructure is designed to operate at high speeds and low latencies, enabling tight spreads and efficient price discovery for its clients.

In addition to its market-making activities, Virtu offers agency execution services, algorithmic trading strategies and transaction cost analysis tools.