16,520 Shares in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) Acquired by Marshall Wace LLP

Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 16,520 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,295,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of JEF. Hemington Wealth Management increased its stake in Jefferies Financial Group by 71.8% during the 4th quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. 60.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Jefferies Financial Group Price Performance

NYSE JEF traded up $2.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $49.29. 1,256,948 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,585,283. The company has a market capitalization of $10.17 billion, a PE ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.28 and a 52-week high of $82.68. The firm's 50-day moving average is $51.76 and its 200-day moving average is $66.36.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by ($0.28). The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. Jefferies Financial Group's revenue for the quarter was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 4.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Investors of record on Monday, May 19th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 19th. Jefferies Financial Group's dividend payout ratio is currently 55.36%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 target price on Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Jefferies Financial Group from an "overweight" rating to an "equal weight" rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $75.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Monday, April 7th. StockNews.com cut Jefferies Financial Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, March 31st. Finally, Oppenheimer cut Jefferies Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th.

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.