Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Makes New $2.21 Million Investment in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL)

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in J.Jill, Inc. (NYSE:JILL - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 80,048 shares of the specialty retailer's stock, valued at approximately $2,211,000. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. owned 0.52% of J.Jill as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets acquired a new position in shares of J.Jill during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 1,507.4% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,736 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 1,628 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of J.Jill during the fourth quarter valued at about $67,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 51.2% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,907 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 985 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of J.Jill by 26.8% during the fourth quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 3,466 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 732 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 40.71% of the company's stock.

J.Jill Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE JILL traded down $0.02 during trading on Friday, hitting $17.86. 73,901 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 143,408. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.97. J.Jill, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $14.37 and a fifty-two week high of $40.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $272.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.31 and a beta of 0.60. The business's fifty day moving average is $16.90 and its 200 day moving average is $22.85.

J.Jill (NYSE:JILL - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 19th. The specialty retailer reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.10. J.Jill had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 71.30%. The company had revenue of $94.75 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $142.33 million. Equities research analysts predict that J.Jill, Inc. will post 3.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

J.Jill Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.79%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. This is a positive change from J.Jill's previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. J.Jill's dividend payout ratio is currently 12.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $31.00 price objective on shares of J.Jill in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $38.20.

About J.Jill

J.Jill, Inc operates as an omnichannel retailer for women's apparel under the J.Jill brand in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, and accessories, including scarves and jewelry. The company markets its products through retail stores, website, and catalogs. J.Jill, Inc was founded in 1959 and is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts.