Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley raised its price target for Jefferies Financial Group from $72.00 to $74.00, implying a potential upside of 9.81% based on the stock's previous close.
• Despite being upgraded by one analyst and having an average rating of "Hold," Jefferies Financial Group has received mixed signals, with a total of one Buy rating and three Hold ratings from analysts.
• The company reported EPS of $1.01 for its latest quarter, exceeding expectations and reflecting a 21.6% increase in revenue compared to the same quarter last year.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) had its price target upped by Morgan Stanley from $72.00 to $74.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "equal weight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective points to a potential upside of 9.81% from the company's previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Telsey Advisory Group set a $74.00 target price on Jefferies Financial Group in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Jefferies Financial Group from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 20th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Jefferies Financial Group from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Jefferies Financial Group has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $72.75.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Up 1.1%

Jefferies Financial Group stock opened at $67.39 on Tuesday. Jefferies Financial Group has a 1-year low of $39.28 and a 1-year high of $82.68. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $62.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $55.25. The company has a market capitalization of $13.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.53 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, September 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.01 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.22. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 7.70% and a return on equity of 6.59%. The company had revenue of $2.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.75 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.75 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 21.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Jefferies Financial Group will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Jefferies Financial Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $224,000. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB increased its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 105.5% in the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,525 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $82,000 after buying an additional 783 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 11,895.9% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 61,659 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,303,000 after purchasing an additional 61,145 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 285.8% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,851 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $367,000 after acquiring an additional 5,075 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NBC Securities Inc. grew its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 114,500.0% during the 1st quarter. NBC Securities Inc. now owns 3,438 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $184,000 after purchasing an additional 3,435 shares during the last quarter. 60.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Jefferies Financial Group

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.