Morgan Stanley Has Lowered Expectations for Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Stock Price

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) had its target price lowered by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $81.00 to $75.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective indicates a potential upside of 39.99% from the company's current price.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on JEF. Oppenheimer downgraded shares of Jefferies Financial Group from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $75.00 price objective on shares of Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Performance

Shares of JEF stock traded up $1.36 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $53.58. 3,612,564 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,493,679. The company has a market cap of $11.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.98 and a beta of 1.37. Jefferies Financial Group has a 1 year low of $40.72 and a 1 year high of $82.68. The company's 50 day moving average is $66.53 and its two-hundred day moving average is $69.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 1.07 and a quick ratio of 1.07.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.60 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.88 by ($0.28). Jefferies Financial Group had a return on equity of 7.92% and a net margin of 10.57%. The business had revenue of $1.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.87 earnings per share. Jefferies Financial Group's quarterly revenue was down 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts anticipate that Jefferies Financial Group will post 4.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jefferies Financial Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JEF. Hemington Wealth Management lifted its position 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 purchasing an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Stephens Consulting LLC acquired a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB bought a new position in Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% in the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 315 shares during the period. 60.88% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.