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Custom EPS: $0.82 for the third quarter.
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Adjusted net trading income: $388 million or $6.1 million per day.
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Adjusted net trading income for market making: $288 million or $4.5 million per day.
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Execution Services Adjusted Net Trading Income: $100 million or $1.6 million a day.
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Adjusted EBITDA: 215 million dollars.
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Adjusted EBITDA margin: 55.4%.
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Adjusted Operating Costs: 190 million dollars.
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Cash Operating Expenses: 173 million dollars.
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Cash compensation ratio: 23% for the quarter.
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Total Compensation Ratio: 28% for the quarter.
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Repurchase of shares: 1.7 million shares at an average price of $28.80 per share.
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Number of shares at the end of the quarter: 161 million shares in circulation.
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Dividend obligation: 20% quarterly.
Release date: October 24, 2024
For the full transcript of the earnings call, please refer to full call transcript earnings.
Positive Points
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Virtu Financial Inc (NASDAQ:VIRT) reported strong performance in both its market-making and client and non-client businesses, with a 55% EBITDA margin and $215 million in adjusted EBITDA.
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The company continues to make progress in its growth initiatives, particularly in crypto options and ETF blocks, showing positive results from multi-year investments.
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Virtu Technology Solutions (VTS) empowers regional broker-dealers with leading technology, contributing to the company’s growth in the Virtu Execution Services (VES) business.
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The company is expanding its reach in under-penetrated regions such as the Middle East, India and Japan, and is seeing success in new client segments.
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Virtu Financial Inc (NASDAQ:VIRT) is dedicated to returning capital to shareholders, maintaining a quarterly dividend of 20% and actively buying back shares.
Negative Points
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Global volume remains low, with US equity volume and notional carry over from the previous quarter weighing on overall market conditions.
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The company experienced a sequential decline in Adjusted Net Trading Income (ANTI), due in part to a significant decline in Bitcoin ETF activity.
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Brokerage costs were at their highest level since COVID, impacted by transaction taxes and Section 31 fees, which weighed on the company’s finances.
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The regulatory environment, particularly the SEC’s capital market structure proposal, presents potential challenges and unintended consequences for the market.
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Virtu Financial Inc (NASDAQ:VIRT) faces competitive pressures in the US options market, which remains a challenging area for growth despite international opportunities.
Featured Questions and Answers
Q: We are seeing an increasing number of brokers offering retail investors access to options and futures. How does this affect Virtu’s business model, and how does futures trading compare to options and stocks in terms of profitability? A: Douglas Cifu, CEO: It’s an exciting opportunity for us, complementary to our existing wholesale cash business. We have strong relationships with retail broker dealers and are confident in providing efficient liquidity. Futures products can attract more active day traders, which is a different segment than casual retail investors. This expansion is beneficial for Virtu as it strengthens our partnerships with retail firms.
Q: Mediation costs were the highest since COVID. Was there something about the business combination that caused these costs to increase and how should we think about them going forward? A: Douglas Cifu, CEO: The increase is mainly due to Section 31 fees, which are transaction taxes that are assessed in arrears and can be flat. In addition, we started paying some cash fees in September. These factors contributed to higher brokerage costs in the quarter.
Q: Despite positive drivers such as ETF launches and high volume, there was a back-to-back decline in ANTI. What triggered this? A: Douglas Cifu, CEO: The decline was primarily the result of a significant decline in Bitcoin ETF activity, with ANTI down about 11% quarter-over-quarter. In addition, spreads in index options have declined, affecting market-making opportunities. However, we remain bullish on growth, particularly in options and international markets.
Q: Can you provide your updated view on the SEC’s capital market structure proposal and its impact on Virtual? Also, how significant is your business in the foreign exchange market? A: Douglas Cifu, CEO: We believe the SEC’s proposal could have unintended negative consequences, potentially increasing transaction costs for larger orders. Although we are not a rebate trading firm, reducing rebates can lead to wider spreads. These changes are not significantly influenced by our operations on the foreign exchange market.
Q: How is Virtu faring in the US options market and how do you see the opportunities opening up internationally vis-à-vis the US? A: Douglas Cifu, CEO: We are expanding the range of symbols and investing in trading on the stock exchange. Internationally, we see opportunities in Asia, particularly in India, Korea and Japan. Our global scale and trading infrastructure position us well to take advantage of these opportunities.
For the full transcript of the earnings call, please refer to full call transcript earnings.
This article first appeared on GuruFocus.