Empowered Funds LLC Invests $2.06 Million in Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. $VRTS

Empowered Funds LLC purchased a new stake in Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) in the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 15,319 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock, valued at approximately $2,058,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VRTS. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its position in Virtus Investment Partners by 2.3% during the first quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 3,446 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $463,000 after buying an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 24.1% in the 4th quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 499 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its holdings in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 5,401 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $881,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 12,700 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $2,413,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 2.7% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 3,952 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $681,000 after acquiring an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.52% of the company’s stock.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Performance

Shares of VRTS stock opened at $163.90 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 11.86, a current ratio of 11.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. has a 52 week low of $121.61 and a 52 week high of $203.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a PE ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 1.37. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $153.21 and a two-hundred day moving average of $145.73.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 14th. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $2.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $9.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.9%. Virtus Investment Partners’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 54.70%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Michael A. Angerthal sold 14,975 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $167.34, for a total transaction of $2,505,916.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 63,461 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,619,563.74. The trade was a 19.09% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 6.40% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently issued reports on VRTS. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $136.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 20th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $181.00 to $170.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 4th. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $141.00 to $135.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Virtus Investment Partners in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $145.50.

About Virtus Investment Partners

Virtus Investment Partners (NASDAQ: VRTS) is a publicly traded investment management company headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. The firm offers a broad range of investment solutions to institutional, high-net-wealth, and retail investors, drawing on the expertise of multiple affiliated investment teams. Since its founding in 1995, Virtus has grown by integrating specialized asset managers and expanding its product lineup, while maintaining a focus on active management across diverse market environments.

The company’s product suite encompasses mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), collective trusts, UCITS funds, and separately managed accounts.