Villanova Investment Management Co LLC Has $2.52 Million Stock Position in Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS)

Villanova Investment Management Co LLC lifted its holdings in Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRTS) by 10.7% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 11,436 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,104 shares during the period. Virtus Investment Partners accounts for 2.2% of Villanova Investment Management Co LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest position. Villanova Investment Management Co LLC’s holdings in Virtus Investment Partners were worth $2,523,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 8.3% during the 4th quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 1,300 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $287,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP boosted its position in Virtus Investment Partners by 388.5% during the third quarter. Quarry LP now owns 127 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Virtus Investment Partners by 170.3% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 200 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV increased its position in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 61.2% during the 4th quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 395 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Virtus Investment Partners by 21.5% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,157 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.52% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on VRTS shares. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $274.00 to $258.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Virtus Investment Partners from $221.00 to $200.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. StockNews.com raised shares of Virtus Investment Partners from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Virtus Investment Partners from $211.00 to $198.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Virtus Investment Partners has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $225.75.

Virtus Investment Partners Stock Performance

NASDAQ VRTS opened at $172.40 on Tuesday. Virtus Investment Partners, Inc. has a 52-week low of $167.13 and a 52-week high of $252.82. The stock has a market cap of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of 10.20 and a beta of 1.49. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $186.13 and a 200-day moving average of $210.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 11.86 and a current ratio of 11.86.

Virtus Investment Partners Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 14th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $2.25 per share. This represents a $9.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.22%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 30th. Virtus Investment Partners’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.25%.

Virtus Investment Partners Company Profile

Virtus Investment Partners, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to individual and institutional clients. It launches separate client focused equity and fixed income portfolios. The firm launches equity, fixed income, and balanced mutual funds for its clients.