Algert Global LLC Sells 115,134 Shares of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF)

Algert Global LLC cut its position in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF - Free Report) by 92.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,748 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 115,134 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC's holdings in Jefferies Financial Group were worth $764,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of JEF. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 71.8% in the fourth quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC bought a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.88% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on JEF shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 target price on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered Jefferies Financial Group from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com downgraded Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Oppenheimer cut Jefferies Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th.

Jefferies Financial Group Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE:JEF traded down $0.18 on Wednesday, hitting $54.19. 1,143,703 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,596,841. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.18 and a beta of 1.47. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.28 and a 12 month high of $82.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $50.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $65.64.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by ($0.28). Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. Jefferies Financial Group's quarterly revenue was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 4.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. Jefferies Financial Group's payout ratio is 55.36%.

Jefferies Financial Group 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.