VIRT
Stripe, KKR, Virtu lead week's key deals
Stripe announced a deal to buy AI model gateway and routing platform OpenRouter, with Bloomberg reporting the acquisition consideration could exceed $7 billion though financial terms were not disclosed. Madison Air Solutions agreed to acquire ebm-papst at an enterprise purchase price of $5.4 billion, or $5.0 billion net of future tax savings. Virtu Financial was considering a sale of its agency brokerage and technology division that could be worth up to $3.5 billion to $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. An investor group led by affiliates of KKR and Dragoneer Investment Group, plus Amwins Group, agreed to acquire Australian insurance company Steadfast Group for about A$7.7 billion, or US$5.5 billion. Bunker Hill Mining agreed to acquire Silver47 Exploration in an all-stock deal valued at about $163 million, forming a larger U.S. silver and critical minerals producer. Mitsubishi Electric agreed to acquire PCI Energy Solutions, a U.S.-based provider of enterprise software for energy management and optimization, for $1.4 billion. Veralto agreed to acquire Cleanwater1 for $465 million, or about $452 million net of estimated tax benefits, with closing expected in Q4 2026.
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Virtu Financial rises on takeover speculation
Virtu Financial rose 3.4% amid a report that the company has attracted takeover interest. The identity of the interested party wasn't known, according to traders, who cited a Betaville uncooked alert that was circulating on Tuesday. Back in December 2024, Pulte Family Office was pushing Virtu to sell itself to either a private equity firm or another public company.
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VIRT▲
Virtu Financial Launches Notional Order Execution for Buybacks
Virtu Financial has launched new notional order execution capabilities for 10b-18 corporate buyback programs, allowing clients to specify purchases by dollar value instead of a fixed number of shares. The feature can calculate trading value with or without commission, helping issuers and broker-dealers manage the exact amount allocated to repurchases. Virtu supports notional instructions across VWAP/TWAP, POV, FAN Aggressive and Passive, and Covert Aggressive algorithms, and says only a handful of financial companies offer this capability. Truist Bank is among Virtu's sell-side partners using the new offering, with its internal analysis showing Virtu's notional execution beating a competing provider on both benchmark performance and total notional value executed. The company generated $360.6 million in Execution Services revenues in the first half of 2026, up 1.4% year over year, and higher adoption could increase volumes and revenues without a comparable increase in overhead.
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Rosen Law Firm Reminds Genius Group Investors of August 28 Deadline in Spoofing Class Action Against Citadel and Virtu
Rosen Law Firm reminds purchasers or sellers of Genius Group Limited securities between April 12, 2022 and May 30, 2025 of the August 28, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in a securities class action against Citadel Securities LLC and Virtu Americas LLC. The lawsuit alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants engaged in a manipulative and illegal trading practice known as 'spoofing,' which involves submitting and then cancelling buy or sell orders without any genuine intent to execute them, to influence the market price of Genius. Investors who traded Genius securities during that period may be entitled to compensation through a contingency fee arrangement. The Rosen Law Firm, which has recovered billions of dollars for investors and was ranked number one by ISS Securities Class Action Services in 2017, encourages investors to select qualified counsel.
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VIRT▲
Virtu Financial Reports Record Trailing 12-Month Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, and EPS
Virtu Financial Inc reported all-time highs in trailing 12-month adjusted net trading income, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EPS during its second quarter 2026 earnings call. Adjusted net trading income reached $11.6 million per day, totaling $718 million for the quarter, with market making contributing $9.4 million per day and execution services adding $2.2 million per day. Adjusted EBITDA was $437 million, representing a 61% margin, and adjusted EPS came in at $1.82. Total trading capital increased to $3.4 billion, up from $2 billion a year ago, driven by retained earnings and a term loan increase, while the company maintained a debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 1.5 times and declared a quarterly dividend of $0.24 per share.
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Artisan Small Cap Fund Sees Virtu Financial Positioned for Durable Profit Cycle
Artisan Small Cap Fund highlighted Virtu Financial as a holding poised for a durable company-specific profit cycle in its second-quarter 2026 investor letter. The fund initiated a Garden position in Virtu and later elevated it to a Crop position, citing increased conviction in the technology-enabled market maker and execution services provider. The fund pointed to new CEO-led strategic changes including expansion into new products and geographies while maintaining a disciplined risk profile, with initiatives spanning options, ETF block trading, and crypto. Virtu Financial shares closed at $59.67 on July 23, 2026, with a one-month return of negative 1.89% and a 52-week gain of 34.75%, and a market capitalization of $9.25 billion. The fund reported that 44 hedge funds held Virtu at the end of the first quarter, up from 40 in the prior quarter.
Insider Monkey·33dRead more ▾
Rosen Law Firm urges Genius Group investors to seek counsel before August 28 deadline in spoofing class action against Citadel Securities and Virtu Americas
Rosen Law Firm reminds purchasers or sellers of Genius Group Limited securities between April 12, 2022 and May 30, 2025 of the August 28, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in a securities class action against Citadel Securities LLC and Virtu Americas LLC. The lawsuit alleges that throughout the class period, defendants engaged in a manipulative and illegal trading practice known as 'spoofing,' submitting and canceling buy or sell orders without genuine intent to execute them in order to mislead market participants about supply and demand for Genius securities and influence the stock price to benefit their own trading positions. The alleged manipulation also increased investors' transaction costs by inflating the bid-ask spread. Investors who purchased or sold Genius securities during the class period may be entitled to compensation through a contingency fee arrangement, and those wishing to serve as lead plaintiff must move the Court no later than August 28, 2026.
GlobeNewswire·34dRead more ▾
Digital Finance & Tokenization▼
Financial stocks end week higher as tech selloff continues
Financial stocks ended the week higher even as Wall Street's major averages declined amid a technology-led selloff. The State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF rose 0.99% to $56.26, with the S&P 500 Financials sector extending its rally to six consecutive sessions in extreme overbought territory. Among megacap gainers, Mastercard advanced 3.20% to $543.60 and Visa added 2.75% to $358.56 after Visa introduced a new enterprise platform for stablecoin capabilities. Bank of America gained 2.68% to $61.27 following better-than-expected second-quarter earnings, while Citigroup fell 8.12% to $129.36 despite topping estimates after comments on additional investments and severance expenses. PayPal surged 22.11% to $56.56 on reports of a $53 billion joint takeover bid from Stripe and Advent International, and Travelers Companies rose 8.87% to $368.98 after its second-quarter earnings blew past consensus. Crypto-related stocks were largely lower, with IREN down 18.28%, Robinhood Markets off 10.73%, and Hut 8 declining 10.54%, while Virtu Financial retreated 15.33% after announcing preliminary results and seeking $400 million in additional term loans. Western Union gained 13.27% to $8.88 amid a surge in call options trading, and Columbia Financial added 10.21% as regional banks rallied on prospects of a lending rebound.
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Rosen Law Firm urges Genius Group investors to seek counsel before August 28 deadline in spoofing class action
Rosen Law Firm reminds purchasers or sellers of Genius Group Limited securities between April 12, 2022 and May 30, 2025 of the August 28, 2026 lead plaintiff deadline in a securities class action against Citadel Securities LLC and Virtu Americas LLC. The lawsuit alleges that throughout the class period, defendants engaged in a manipulative and illegal trading practice known as 'spoofing,' which involves submitting and then cancelling buy or sell orders without any genuine intent to execute them, in order to mislead other market participants about supply and demand for Genius securities and to benefit defendants' own trading positions. Investors who purchased or sold Genius securities during the class period may be entitled to compensation through a contingency fee arrangement, and those wishing to serve as lead plaintiff must move the Court no later than August 28, 2026. Rosen Law Firm highlights its track record in securities class actions, including achieving the largest ever settlement against a Chinese company and recovering billions of dollars for investors.
GlobeNewswire·40dRead more ▾
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Virtu Financial posts preliminary Q2 outlook, expects $285M net income
Virtu Financial announced preliminary second-quarter results, expecting net income of $285 million with basic and diluted earnings per share of $1.63 and adjusted earnings per share of $1.82 for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. The company expects net trading income of $857 million and adjusted net trading income of $718 million, up from $568 million in the second quarter of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be $437 million, compared with $369 million in the prior-year quarter. Alongside the preliminary results, Virtu Financial is seeking $400 million in additional term loans, increasing its total debt facility balance to $1.93 billion. For the first half of 2026, the company also expects adjusted net trading income of $1.5 billion and adjusted EBITDA of $957 million.
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Zacks Recommends Five Financial Transaction Stocks for Portfolio Enhancement
Zacks Equity Research recommends buying five financial transaction stocks to enhance portfolio returns amid the digital finance revolution. The featured companies are Corpay, Jack Henry & Associates, Visa, Virtu Financial, and JPMorgan Chase, each carrying a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy). Corpay is expected to grow revenue and earnings by 17.3% and 25.6% respectively this year, with its consensus earnings estimate rising 3.1% over the last 60 days. Jack Henry & Associates sees revenue and earnings growth of 5.9% and 4.1% for the year ending June 2027, with its estimate up 1.7% in 90 days. Visa projects low-teens revenue growth for fiscal 2026, with expected revenue and earnings growth of 13.4% and 14.2% for the year ending September 2026, and its estimate improving 0.1% over 30 days. Virtu Financial, the sole Strong Buy, anticipates revenue and earnings growth of 10.6% and 13.6% this year, with its estimate climbing 5.2% in 60 days. JPMorgan Chase forecasts revenue and earnings growth of 7.9% and 11.9% this year, with its estimate edging up 0.1% in the last seven days.
Zacks Investment Research·47dRead more ▾
VIRT▼
Rosen Law Firm files securities class action against Citadel Securities and Virtu Americas over Genius Group spoofing claims
Rosen Law Firm has filed a securities class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers or sellers of Genius Group Limited securities between April 12, 2022 and May 30, 2025, against Citadel Securities LLC and Virtu Americas LLC. The lawsuit alleges that throughout the class period, defendants engaged in a manipulative and illegal trading practice known as 'spoofing,' which involves submitting and then cancelling buy or sell orders without any genuine intent to execute them. These baiting orders were allegedly used to mislead other market participants about the true level of supply and demand for Genius securities, thereby influencing the market price to benefit defendants' own trading positions. The alleged manipulation also increased investors' transaction costs by inflating the bid-ask spread for Genius stock. Investors who purchased or sold Genius securities during the class period may be entitled to compensation, and the deadline to move the court to serve as lead plaintiff is August 28, 2026.
GlobeNewswire·49dRead more ▾
Digital Finance & Tokenization▲
Tradeweb Markets facilitates real-time onchain Treasury trade with Franklin Templeton and Virtu
Tradeweb Markets facilitated a real-time onchain trade of tokenized U.S. Treasuries using the Canton Network and USDCx. The transaction involved asset transfers between Franklin Templeton and Virtu Financial, demonstrating synchronized settlement across tokenized cash and securities. This marks a key step in applying blockchain-based infrastructure to traditional fixed income markets and digital asset trading workflows.
Simply Wall St·54dRead more ▾
VIRT▲
Virtu Financial Stock Earns Strong Buy Rating on Diversified Growth and Upward Estimate Revisions
Virtu Financial has received a Zacks Rank of 1, or Strong Buy, driven by diversified business growth and a supportive trading environment. The consensus estimate for 2026 adjusted earnings per share stands at $6.51, reflecting 13.6% year-over-year growth, with five upward revisions and no downward movement. First-quarter commissions, net and technology services revenues rose 23.3% to $186.6 million, while the Execution Services segment posted adjusted net trading income of $149.5 million, up from $115.1 million a year earlier. The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $973.2 million and a net debt-to-EBITDA ratio of 0.5, well below the industry average of 1.3. However, operating cash flow remains unpredictable, with a $0.1 million use of cash in the first quarter compared to $15 million provided a year ago.
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