Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Price Target Cut to $75.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) had its price target reduced by Morgan Stanley from $81.00 to $75.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 price target on Jefferies Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Oppenheimer cut shares of Jefferies Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Performance

JEF opened at $54.42 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.22 billion, a PE ratio of 18.26 and a beta of 1.37. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. Jefferies Financial Group has a twelve month low of $40.72 and a twelve month high of $82.68. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $67.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.41.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) 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). Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. The company had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.87 earnings per share. Jefferies Financial Group’s revenue for the quarter was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Jefferies Financial Group will post 4.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 19th. Jefferies Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.69%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jefferies Financial Group

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its stake in Jefferies Financial Group by 71.8% during the fourth quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. 60.88% of the stock is currently 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.