Morgan Stanley Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Stock Price

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) had its target price lowered by Morgan Stanley from $92.00 to $81.00 in a note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price would suggest a potential upside of 49.92% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also commented on JEF. Oppenheimer cut their price target on shares of Jefferies Financial Group from $82.00 to $81.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 target price on Jefferies Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Down 1.6 %

NYSE:JEF traded down $0.89 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $54.03. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 479,157 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,810,691. Jefferies Financial Group has a 52-week low of $40.72 and a 52-week high of $82.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.13 and a beta of 1.37. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $71.01 and a 200-day moving average of $69.47.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.06). The business had revenue of $1.96 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.83 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. The company’s revenue was up 63.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.30 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Jefferies Financial Group will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Jefferies Financial Group

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its position 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC purchased a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% during the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the third quarter worth about $32,000. 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.