Virtu Financial LLC Makes New $1.33 Million Investment in JetBlue Airways Corporation $JBLU

Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 293,054 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,333,000.

A number of other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in JetBlue Airways by 639.1% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 5,839 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 5,049 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in JetBlue Airways during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Leonteq Securities AG bought a new stake in JetBlue Airways during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in JetBlue Airways during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of JetBlue Airways by 172.0% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 10,161 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 6,426 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.71% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Susquehanna increased their target price on JetBlue Airways from $4.00 to $5.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of JetBlue Airways in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “sell” rating and issued a $3.50 price target on shares of JetBlue Airways in a research note on Monday, June 1st. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on JetBlue Airways in a report on Tuesday, March 24th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $4.50 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on JetBlue Airways from $3.50 to $4.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $4.93.

JetBlue Airways Price Performance

Shares of JBLU opened at $5.68 on Friday. JetBlue Airways Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $3.84 and a fifty-two week high of $6.50. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $5.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $5.01. The stock has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a PE ratio of -2.93 and a beta of 1.73. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.25, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.70.

JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The transportation company reported ($0.87) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.72) by ($0.15). JetBlue Airways had a negative net margin of 7.78% and a negative return on equity of 32.76%. The business had revenue of $2.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.24 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted ($0.59) earnings per share. JetBlue Airways’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that JetBlue Airways Corporation will post -2.67 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Vivek Sharma sold 32,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $5.41, for a total value of $173,120.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 35,479 shares in the company, valued at $191,941.39. The trade was a 47.42% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas Winkelmann sold 35,473 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $4.70, for a total transaction of $166,723.10. Following the sale, the director directly owned 13,379 shares in the company, valued at $62,881.30. This trade represents a 72.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.41% of the stock is owned by insiders.

JetBlue Airways Profile

JetBlue Airways Corporation is a low-cost scheduled passenger airline headquartered in Long Island City, New York. Since commencing service in 2000, the carrier has built a reputation for combining competitive fares with enhanced onboard amenities, including free in-flight entertainment, complimentary snacks and beverages, and onboard Wi-Fi. JetBlue operates a single fleet type of Airbus A320 family and Embraer 190 aircraft, which supports its focus on efficiency and operational consistency.

The airline’s core offerings include economy-class travel and a premium business-class product known as Mint, which features lie-flat seats, curated culinary options and elevated service on select transcontinental and international routes.