Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $0.87 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.76 by $0.11, Briefing.com reports. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 5.90% and a return on equity of 4.42%. The company had revenue of $1.74 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.52 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.55 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 35.4% on a year-over-year basis.

Jefferies Financial Group Trading Down 4.4 %

NYSE:JEF opened at $44.08 on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group has a 52 week low of $28.81 and a 52 week high of $47.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18. The company has a market cap of $9.34 billion, a PE ratio of 36.13 and a beta of 1.37. The business’s 50 day moving average is $42.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.37.

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 27th. Investors of record on Friday, February 16th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.72%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 15th. Jefferies Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 98.36%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded Jefferies Financial Group from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, March 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Jefferies Financial Group presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $39.67.

Institutional Trading of Jefferies Financial Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Belpointe Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 56.7% in the first quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 1,147 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the last quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth $53,000. Covington Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 27.8% in the third quarter. Covington Capital Management now owns 2,525 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $74,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 67.1% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,756 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $91,000 after purchasing an additional 1,107 shares during the period. Finally, Stonebridge Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $103,000. 60.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Jefferies Financial Group Company Profile

Jefferies Financial Group Inc operates as an investment banking and capital markets firm in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific. The company operates in two segments, Investment Banking and Capital Markets, and Asset Management. It provides investment banking, advisory services with respect to mergers or acquisitions, debt financing, restructurings or recapitalizations, and private capital advisory transactions; underwriting and placement services related to corporate debt, municipal bonds, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, equity and equity-linked securities, and loan syndication services; and corporate lending services.