Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Issues Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.45 EPS

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) announced its earnings results on Wednesday. The financial services provider reported $0.70 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.15 by ($0.45), FiscalAI reports. The business had revenue of $2.02 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.02 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 6.56% and a return on equity of 7.27%.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Down 2.3%

NYSE JEF traded down $0.93 on Wednesday, reaching $39.62. The stock had a trading volume of 4,369,486 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,124,175. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.73. Jefferies Financial Group has a 1 year low of $35.53 and a 1 year high of $71.04. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $51.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $56.82. The company has a market capitalization of $8.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.00 and a beta of 1.52.

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 27th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 17th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 17th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.0%. Jefferies Financial Group’s payout ratio is 56.54%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on JEF shares. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Jefferies Financial Group from $76.00 to $59.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Jefferies Financial Group from $61.00 to $54.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their target price on Jefferies Financial Group from $68.00 to $42.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut Jefferies Financial Group from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and set a $49.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Monday, March 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Jefferies Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.14.

Jefferies Financial Group News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Jefferies Financial Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Takeover speculation from Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) pushed JEF sharply higher as reports said SMFG is exploring a possible acquisition, supporting upside on takeover premium expectations. Japan’s SMFG explores possible takeover of Jefferies
• Neutral Sentiment: Jefferies is set to report Q1 results after the close (Mar 25); several analysts revised forecasts ahead of the call, which raises the potential for a meaningful post‑earnings move either direction. Jefferies Financial Likely To Report Higher Q1 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate advisory business note — Jefferies said a Mingledorff deal expands Home Depot‑SRS total addressable market by ~$100B, a potential positive for fee revenue if closed/executed. Jefferies says Mingledorff’s deal expands Home Depot-SRS’ TAM by $100B
• Negative Sentiment: Some outlets and Bloomberg pushed back on immediate deal chances, reporting SMFG has “no immediate takeover plan,” which trimmed the takeover‑driven gains and increased volatility. Jefferies shares cut gains on report Japan’s SMFG has no immediate takeover plan
• Negative Sentiment: An investor class‑action inquiry by Pomerantz LLP was announced, which can weigh on sentiment and create legal/expense overhangs until resolved. Pomerantz investigating claims on behalf of Jefferies investors
• Negative Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets lowered its price target on JEF to $42, signaling more cautious analyst sentiment and likely contributing to downward pressure on the shares. BMO lowers Jefferies Financial Group price target to $42

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $42,000. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 50.0% in the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 672 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 159.3% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 892 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 548 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the third quarter valued at $64,000. Finally, BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S raised its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 28.7% during the 2nd quarter. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S now owns 1,872 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $102,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 60.88% of the company’s stock.

About Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group Inc is a diversified financial services company that provides a range of investment banking, capital markets and asset management services to corporations, governments and institutional investors worldwide. Through its core platform, Jefferies offers advisory services for mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity underwriting, restructuring and recapitalization. The firm also operates a global sales and trading business covering equities, fixed income and foreign exchange products, complemented by equity research and macroeconomic analysis.

In addition to its capital markets franchise, Jefferies maintains a growing asset management division that delivers customized investment solutions across public and private markets.