Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.46 EPS

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.05, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.46.
• The stock of Jefferies Financial Group declined 0.1% to $66.67, with a notable trading volume of 2.76 million shares, surpassing its average volume.
• Analysts have recently upgraded Jefferies' ratings, with Morgan Stanley increasing the target price from $54.00 to $72.00 and giving it an "equal weight" rating.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Monday. The financial services provider reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.46, Zacks reports. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 7.70% and a return on equity of 6.59%.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Down 0.1%

JEF traded down $0.04 during trading on Monday, hitting $66.67. 2,767,651 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,789,703. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The business's 50 day moving average is $62.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.18. Jefferies Financial Group has a fifty-two week low of $39.28 and a fifty-two week high of $82.68. The stock has a market cap of $13.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.16 and a beta of 1.49.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

JEF has been the topic of a number of research reports. Zacks Research raised shares of Jefferies Financial Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, September 4th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Jefferies Financial Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, September 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Jefferies Financial Group from $54.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Jefferies Financial Group currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $71.67.

Institutional Trading of Jefferies Financial Group

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $224,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S increased its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 28.7% during the second quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 1,872 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $102,000 after buying an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 159.3% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 892 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $49,000 after buying an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. BW Gestao de Investimentos Ltda. purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the second quarter worth about $4,156,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the second quarter worth about $3,325,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.88% of the company's stock.

Jefferies Financial Group Company 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.

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