Citigroup (NYSE:C) Earns Buy Rating from Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group

Key Points

• Jefferies initiated coverage on Citigroup with a Buy rating and a $135 price target, implying roughly a 17.9% upside from current levels.
• Overall analyst sentiment is a "Moderate Buy" (15 Buys, 5 Holds) with an average price target of $127.71, while the stock trades around $114.47 with a market cap of $200.24B and a P/E of 16.42.
• Citigroup beat quarterly EPS estimates ($1.81 vs. $1.65) but missed on revenue ($19.87B vs. $20.99B); analysts expect 7.53 EPS for the year and Q1 earnings in April are the next key catalyst.

Equities research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group assumed coverage on shares of Citigroup (NYSE:C - Get Free Report) in a report released on Thursday. The firm set a "buy" rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group's target price would suggest a potential upside of 17.93% from the company's current price.

C has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Citigroup from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, February 20th. Piper Sandler set a $135.00 target price on Citigroup in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. TD Cowen reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of Citigroup in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Citigroup from $141.00 to $144.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, HSBC reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $87.00 price objective on shares of Citigroup in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Citigroup presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $127.71.

Citigroup Stock Performance

NYSE:C opened at $114.47 on Thursday. The stock's 50-day moving average is $113.21 and its 200-day moving average is $107.94. Citigroup has a 1-year low of $55.51 and a 1-year high of $125.16. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63. The stock has a market cap of $200.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.17.

Citigroup (NYSE:C - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 14th. The company reported $1.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.16. Citigroup had a net margin of 8.50% and a return on equity of 8.28%. The business had revenue of $19.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $20.99 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.34 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Citigroup will post 7.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Citigroup

In related news, insider Cantu Ernesto Torres sold 43,173 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.09, for a total transaction of $4,796,088.57. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 45,835 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,091,810.15. This trade represents a 48.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.08% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Citigroup

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. increased its stake in Citigroup by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 923,984 shares of the company's stock valued at $107,820,000 after purchasing an additional 128,108 shares in the last quarter. World Investment Advisors boosted its position in shares of Citigroup by 24.3% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 125,531 shares of the company's stock worth $14,648,000 after purchasing an additional 24,530 shares in the last quarter. ARP Global Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $5,544,000. Nalls Sherbakoff Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $66,000. Finally, Larry Mathis Financial Planning LLC bought a new stake in Citigroup in the 4th quarter valued at about $860,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 71.72% of the company's stock.

Citigroup News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Citigroup this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BlackRock mandate and recent bond activity boost investor outlook — Citi was named to support middle‑office functions for large BlackRock ETF flows and the bank has been active in multi‑currency bond issuances, a combination that signals stronger fee pipelines and capital markets momentum for Citi. Citigroup (C) Is Up 5.6% After BlackRock ETF Mandate And Bond Issuances - Has The Bull Case Changed?
• Neutral Sentiment: Citibank redeems near‑term 2026 notes ($2B fixed-rate and $1B floating) — a scheduled debt redemption that reduces near‑term liabilities but uses capital; credit/liquidity impact is modest and generally viewed as routine balance‑sheet management. Citibank Announces $2 Billion Redemption of 5.438% Notes Due 2026 and $1 Billion Redemption of Floating Rate Notes Due 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Upcoming Q1 earnings in April remain the nearest catalyst — analysts expect double‑digit EPS growth, so results and guidance will likely determine near‑term direction after this flurry of corporate actions. What You Need To Know Ahead Of Citigroup's Earnings Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Citi entities trimming/substantially exiting small external equity holdings (e.g., Core Lithium, Predictive Discovery) — routine asset management flows that are unlikely to move Citi’s stock materially. Citigroup Entities Exit Substantial Holder Position in Core Lithium
• Negative Sentiment: Senior Asia investment banking departures — Citi’s co‑head/top Asia banker Metzger is leaving for Standard Chartered, which could raise near‑term execution questions in the region and may pressure investor confidence around Asia growth strategy. Citigroup top Asia banker Metzger leaves for role at StanChart

Citigroup Company Profile

Citigroup Inc is a global financial services company headquartered in New York City with roots tracing back to the City Bank of New York, founded in 1812. The modern Citigroup was created through the 1998 merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group and has since operated as a diversified bank holding company that provides a broad range of banking and financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions worldwide.

Citi's principal businesses include retail and commercial banking, credit card and consumer lending products, wealth management and private banking, and a full suite of institutional services.

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