Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Downgraded to Sell Rating by StockNews.com

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note issued on Monday.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Jefferies Financial Group from $81.00 to $75.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 price target on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer cut shares of Jefferies Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:JEF traded down $3.97 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $43.98. 1,814,214 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,511,737. Jefferies Financial Group has a 12 month low of $40.72 and a 12 month high of $82.68. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $64.61 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $69.25. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.76 and a beta of 1.37.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.88 by ($0.28). The firm had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a return on equity of 7.92% and a net margin of 10.57%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.87 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Jefferies Financial Group will post 4.41 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jefferies Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hemington Wealth Management grew its holdings 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 during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC purchased a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the third quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its holdings 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 during the period. 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.