1492 Capital Management LLC Purchases 12,802 Shares of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. $JEF

1492 Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) by 13.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 107,773 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 12,802 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group makes up approximately 1.7% of 1492 Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th largest holding. 1492 Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Jefferies Financial Group were worth $4,448,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 75.0% in the fourth quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 413 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 177 shares during the period. Smithfield Trust Co bought a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Elyxium Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $28,000. Nvwm LLC acquired a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Ramirez Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 60.88% of the company’s stock.

More Jefferies Financial Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies reported record-strength in investment banking and solid equities performance, which signals healthy dealmaking and trading momentum. MarketWatch: Jefferies Profit Soars on Investment Banking Gains
• Positive Sentiment: The board approved a $250 million share repurchase plan, which can support the stock by signaling confidence in valuation. RTT News: Jefferies Initiates Share Repurchase Plan
• Positive Sentiment: Jefferies also declared a $0.40 quarterly dividend, reinforcing shareholder returns. Seeking Alpha: Jefferies Financial Group declares $0.40 dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain constructive overall, with several recent price targets above current levels, suggesting some Street support for the name. TipRanks: Jefferies Analyst Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies missed second-quarter EPS and revenue estimates, and investors are reacting to the weaker-than-expected profitability. Seeking Alpha: Jefferies stock slides after Q2 miss
• Negative Sentiment: Asset management revenue weakened sharply, raising concerns about the durability of earnings quality and adding to near-term pressure on the stock. Quiver Quantitative: Jefferies Falls After Q2 Earnings Miss

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Down 6.7%

Shares of JEF opened at $49.09 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $53.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $53.27. The stock has a market cap of $10.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.71 and a beta of 1.54. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $35.53 and a 12 month high of $71.04.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, June 24th. The financial services provider reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $2.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.30 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a return on equity of 9.23% and a net margin of 7.58%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 35.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.40 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 3.71 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, June 24th that permits the company to repurchase $250.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the financial services provider to buy up to 2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Jefferies Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 18th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 18th. Jefferies Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is 44.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

JEF has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Loop Capital set a $60.00 target price on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a research note on Monday, June 8th. Weiss Ratings raised Jefferies Financial Group from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. UBS Group lowered their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $67.00 to $65.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Jefferies Financial Group currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $62.62.

Jefferies Financial Group Company Profile

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.