Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) Shares Sold by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lessened its position in Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) by 34.7% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 21,313 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 11,347 shares during the quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ holdings in Jefferies Financial Group were worth $1,671,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of JEF. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Jefferies Financial Group by 71.8% in the 4th quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% in the fourth quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 60.88% of the company’s stock.

Jefferies Financial Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:JEF opened at $54.42 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $67.00 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.41. The company has a market cap of $11.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.26 and a beta of 1.37. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 12-month low of $40.72 and a 12-month high of $82.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by ($0.28). The business had revenue of $1.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.93 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. The company’s revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.87 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 19th will be paid 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 (DPR) is currently 53.69%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on JEF shares. Oppenheimer lowered Jefferies Financial Group from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $81.00 to $75.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 price target on Jefferies Financial Group in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th.

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.