Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) recently announced its quarterly dividend, which is set to be paid out on Tuesday, November 28th. Shareholders of record as of Monday, November 13th will receive a dividend of $0.30 per share from the financial services provider. This translates to an annualized dividend of $1.20 and a yield of 3.25%. It is important to note that those who wish to receive the dividend must ensure they are not purchasing JEF stock on or after Thursday, November 9th.
On Wednesday, September 27th, Jefferies Financial Group released its latest quarterly earnings data. The company reported earnings per share of $0.22 for the quarter, falling short of the consensus estimate of $0.33 by ($0.11). Jefferies Financial Group’s total revenue for the quarter was $1.18 billion, below the consensus estimate of $1.25 billion.
Comparing these figures to the same quarter in the previous year shows a decline in revenue by 21.7%. Jefferies Financial Group’s net margin was recorded at 7.02%, while their return on equity stood at 4.30%.
For the remainder of the year, analysts predict that Jefferies Financial Group will post earnings per share amounting to 1.67.
Analysts have presented mixed opinions regarding JEF’s performance and potential future prospects in recent reports. Oppenheimer increased their target price for Jefferies Financial Group from $39.00 to $43.00 and assigned an “outperform” rating to the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 6th.
Other reports provide alternative perspectives on JEF’s outlook including StockNews.com’s initiation coverage rating it as “hold”. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley upgraded Jefferies Financial Group from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and increased their target price from $27.00 to $36.00 in a report published on Wednesday, July 12th. Similarly, TheStreet upgraded the company’s rating from “c+” to “b-” on Monday, July 17th.
Most recently, The Goldman Sachs Group raised Jefferies Financial Group’s rating from “buy” to “conviction-buy” in a research note released on Tuesday, September 5th.
Overall, JEF currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” according to Bloomberg.com, with an average target price of $39.00.
Investors should keep track of Jefferies Financial Group’s performance and analysts’ updates as they evaluate its potential for future growth and success in the financial services sector.
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Jefferies Financial Group: Strong Growth and Positive Outlook
Jefferies Financial Group, a leading financial services provider, has recently experienced significant growth and positive performance. The company has consistently increased its dividend payment over the past three years, with an average annual increase of 33.9%. Moreover, Jefferies Financial Group has managed to raise its dividend annually for the last three consecutive years.
With a payout ratio of 32.4%, it is evident that the company’s dividend is adequately covered by its earnings. This ratio indicates the proportion of earnings that are paid out as dividends to shareholders. In light of this, analysts predict that Jefferies Financial Group will earn $3.69 per share next year, which bodes well for maintaining their annual dividend payout of $1.20 per share. These projections suggest a future payout ratio of 32.5%.
Shares of JEF stock opened at $36.92 on Friday, and the company boasts a market capitalization of $8.16 billion. Its debt-to-equity ratio stands at 1.02 and its quick ratio and current ratio are both at 0.95, indicating strong liquidity positions for the company.
Over the past year, Jefferies Financial Group’s stock price has ranged between a low of $28.34 and a high of $40.80, reflecting considerable volatility in the market. However, its 50-day moving average price currently stands at $36.14, while the two-hundred day moving average price is slightly lower at $33.20.
Analyst reports have also been favorable towards Jefferies Financial Group in recent times. For instance, Oppenheimer significantly raised their target price from $39.00 to $43.00 and provided an “outperform” rating for the company in their report on September 6th.
Other reports from institutions such as StockNews.com and Morgan Stanley have shown positive sentiment as well, reflecting improved ratings for Jefferies Financial Group. TheStreet also upgraded the company’s rating from a “c+” to a “b-“. These positive assessments indicate that financial experts believe the company is on a positive trajectory.
The average rating for Jefferies Financial Group, according to Bloomberg.com, is listed as “Moderate Buy” with an average target price of $39.00. This suggests that there is some consensus among analysts regarding the potential growth and performance of the company in the near future.
In other news, Chairman Joseph S. Steinberg recently sold a significant number of shares, totaling 225,311, at an average price of $35.87 per share. Following this transaction, Steinberg’s direct holdings in the company now amount to a substantial value of $582,004,559.95.
It is worth noting that insiders have sold a total of 578,320 shares over the last ninety days amounting to approximately $20,948,017. This could imply different motivations behind these transactions and should be considered along with other factors when assessing investment decisions.
In terms of institutional investors and hedge funds’ relation to Jefferies Financial Group, there have been several recent modifications made to their holdings. Belpointe Asset Management LLC significantly increased their holdings by 56.7% during the first quarter. Similarly, Covington Capital Management raised their holdings by 27.8% during the third quarter. These moves indicate growing interest and confidence among institutional investors in Jefferies Financial Group’s potential.
All in all, Jefferies Financial Group seems poised for continued success given its strong financial performance and positive outlook from analysts across various reports. While recent insider selling may raise questions for some investors, it should be evaluated alongside other factors such as institutional investments and overall market conditions before drawing any conclusions about the company’s future prospects.
