Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $80.53 and last traded at $80.12, with a volume of 27823 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $79.45.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on JEF. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Jefferies Financial Group from $59.00 to $64.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. UBS Group initiated coverage on Jefferies Financial Group in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price for the company. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $73.00 to $83.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th.

Jefferies Financial Group Price Performance

The company’s fifty day moving average is $66.65 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53. The firm has a market capitalization of $16.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.95 and a beta of 1.31.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.78 by ($0.03). Jefferies Financial Group had a return on equity of 6.40% and a net margin of 9.27%. The company had revenue of $1.68 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.71 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 3.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Investors of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.76%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Jefferies Financial Group’s payout ratio is 59.83%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Mitsui Financial Grou Sumitomo bought 9,247,081 shares of Jefferies Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 19th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $59.67 per share, with a total value of $551,773,323.27. Following the purchase, the director now owns 9,247,081 shares in the company, valued at approximately $551,773,323.27. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Richard B. Handler sold 400,000 shares of Jefferies Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.26, for a total value of $28,904,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 14,971,288 shares in the company, valued at $1,081,825,270.88. This represents a 2.60 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,286,923 shares of company stock worth $88,999,151. Company insiders own 20.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JEF. Rothschild Investment LLC bought a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 75.7% in the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 520 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 1,993.8% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 670 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank acquired a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the 3rd quarter worth about $42,000. 60.88% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.