Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Sells 15,437 Shares of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL)

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. significantly reduced its stake in Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated by 92.1% during the first quarter, selling 15,437 shares and now owning just 1,327 shares worth approximately $329,000.
• Jones Lang LaSalle reported earnings per share of $3.30 for the last quarter, exceeding analysts' estimates and achieving an 11.0% year-over-year revenue growth to $6.25 billion.
• Currently, 94.80% of Jones Lang LaSalle's stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds, reflecting strong interest from larger financial entities in the company's performance.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated (NYSE:JLL - Free Report) by 92.1% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,327 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 15,437 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Jones Lang LaSalle were worth $329,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in JLL. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Western Pacific Wealth Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle in the first quarter worth $41,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 356.3% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 324 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 253 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 39.9% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 368 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $91,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Quarry LP raised its stake in shares of Jones Lang LaSalle by 129.9% in the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 492 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $125,000 after purchasing an additional 278 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.80% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on JLL shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target on Jones Lang LaSalle from $280.00 to $297.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 24th. JMP Securities started coverage on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $305.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Citizens Jmp started coverage on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle in a research report on Monday, July 21st. They issued a "market perform" rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Jones Lang LaSalle from $275.00 to $240.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $312.43.

Insider Buying and Selling at Jones Lang LaSalle

In related news, CEO Andrew W. Poppink sold 275 shares of Jones Lang LaSalle stock in a transaction on Friday, June 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $237.97, for a total transaction of $65,441.75. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 10,297 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,450,377.09. The trade was a 2.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.91% of the company's stock.

Jones Lang LaSalle Stock Performance

JLL traded up $4.54 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $280.33. The company had a trading volume of 142,374 shares, compared to its average volume of 400,480. The company has a quick ratio of 2.35, a current ratio of 2.35 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated has a 1 year low of $194.36 and a 1 year high of $288.50. The business has a 50-day moving average of $253.59 and a two-hundred day moving average of $247.71. The company has a market cap of $13.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.11 and a beta of 1.38.

Jones Lang LaSalle (NYSE:JLL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $3.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.20 by $0.10. Jones Lang LaSalle had a net margin of 2.28% and a return on equity of 10.63%. The company had revenue of $6.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.17 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.55 EPS. Jones Lang LaSalle's revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated will post 16.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jones Lang LaSalle Company Profile

Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated operates as a commercial real estate and investment management company. It engages in the buying, building, occupying, managing, and investing in a commercial, industrial, hotel, residential, and retail properties in Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific.