Earnings Estimates Rising for Virtu Financial (VIRT): Will It Gain?

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Investors might want to bet on Virtu Financial (VIRT), as earnings estimates for this company have been showing solid improvement lately. The stock has already gained solid short-term price momentum, and this trend might continue with its still improving earnings outlook.

Analysts' growing optimism on the earnings prospects of this high-speed trading company is driving estimates higher, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- has this insight at its core.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For Virtu Financial, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.

Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions

The company is expected to earn $0.73 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of +170.37%.

Over the last 30 days, three estimates have moved higher for Virtu Financial compared to no negative revisions. As a result, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased 15.23%.

Current-Year Estimate Revisions

The company is expected to earn $3.15 per share for the full year, which represents a change of +71.2% from the prior-year number.

The revisions trend for the current year also appears quite promising for Virtu Financial, with three estimates moving higher over the past month compared to one negative revision. The consensus estimate has also received a boost over this time frame, increasing 9.12%.

Favorable Zacks Rank

Thanks to promising estimate revisions, Virtu Financial currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom Line

While strong estimate revisions for Virtu Financial have attracted decent investments and pushed the stock 5.1% higher over the past four weeks, further upside may still be left in the stock. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

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