Shares of Virtu Financial slumped 9.5% in morning trading after the electronic trading giant reported weaker-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. When markets are more placid, firms like Virtu don't earn as much money from market-making—the business of continually buying and selling stocks throughout the day, and capturing the spread between the buying and selling prices. Virtu's adjusted net trading income for the fourth quarter, which includes market-making, averaged $4.1 million a day, the lowest level since 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic unleashed a frenzy of volatility.
Alexander Osipovich is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, specializing in exchanges, high-frequency trading, market structure, and occasionally covering cryptocurrency. His work has been featured in various publications such as Yahoo Finance, Financial News, Flipboard, MarketWatch, and LiveMint.