Oppenheimer Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Stock

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) had its target price increased by Oppenheimer from $71.00 to $73.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Oppenheimer currently has an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also commented on JEF. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on 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 assumed coverage on Jefferies Financial Group in a research note on Tuesday, September 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $67.00 target price on the stock.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of Jefferies Financial Group stock opened at $71.50 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market cap of $14.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.56 and a beta of 1.31. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $62.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $54.61. Jefferies Financial Group has a 1 year low of $33.16 and a 1 year high of $72.76.

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

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be given a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 18th. Jefferies Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 59.83%.

Insider Activity

In other Jefferies Financial Group news, Director Robert D. Beyer sold 46,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.07, for a total value of $2,960,034.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 100,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,431,026.25. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other 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 bought at an average price of $59.67 per share, for a total transaction of $551,773,323.27. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 9,247,081 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $551,773,323.27. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert D. Beyer sold 46,200 shares of Jefferies Financial Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.07, for a total value of $2,960,034.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 100,375 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,431,026.25. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 1,286,923 shares of company stock worth $88,999,151. Insiders own 20.40% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in Jefferies Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its holdings in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 75.7% during the second quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 520 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 224 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 1,993.8% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 670 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 638 shares during the period. Eastern Bank purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the third quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the 2nd quarter worth about $48,000. 60.88% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Jefferies Financial Group

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.