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

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

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BNP Paribas Financial Markets bought a new position in shares of J.Jill during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in shares of J.Jill by 1,507.4% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,736 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 1,628 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of J.Jill in the 4th quarter worth about $67,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN boosted its stake in shares of J.Jill by 51.2% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 2,907 shares of the specialty retailer's stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 985 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in J.Jill by 26.8% during the 4th 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 last quarter. 40.71% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Telsey Advisory Group reissued a "market perform" rating and issued a $31.00 price objective on shares of J.Jill in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $38.20.

J.Jill Trading Down 2.5%

Shares of J.Jill stock traded down $0.45 on Monday, hitting $17.40. 12,807 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 143,354. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The company has a market cap of $265.85 million, a PE ratio of 6.13 and a beta of 0.60. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $16.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $22.82. J.Jill, Inc. has a 52 week low of $14.37 and a 52 week high of $40.61.

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

J.Jill Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 16th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 2nd were issued a $0.08 dividend. This is a boost from J.Jill's previous quarterly dividend of $0.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, April 2nd. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.84%. J.Jill's payout ratio is presently 12.12%.

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.