Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank Acquires 5,855 Shares of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF)

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank grew its stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF - Free Report) by 16.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 40,667 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 5,855 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank's holdings in Jefferies Financial Group were worth $3,188,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of JEF. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group by 71.8% in the fourth quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in 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 during the period. Finally, Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the third quarter valued at $32,000. 60.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Jefferies Financial Group Trading Up 1.5 %

JEF stock traded up $0.85 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $59.31. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,743,296 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,842,991. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 12 month low of $40.72 and a 12 month 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 business's 50 day moving average price is $69.13 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.49. The company has a market cap of $12.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.90 and a beta of 1.37.

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Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 8th. The financial services provider reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.06). Jefferies Financial Group had a net margin of 10.57% and a return on equity of 7.92%. The company had revenue of $1.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.83 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.30 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 63.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 4.41 EPS for the current year.

Jefferies Financial Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 14th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.70%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Jefferies Financial Group's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Jefferies Financial Group's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.69%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently weighed in on JEF shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 price target on Jefferies Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Oppenheimer lowered Jefferies Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Jefferies Financial Group from $92.00 to $81.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 13th.

Jefferies Financial Group 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.