Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) President Brian P. Friedman Sells 200,000 Shares

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:JEF) President Brian P. Friedman sold 200,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.09, for a total value of $12,618,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 604,606 shares in the company, valued at $38,144,592.54. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Jefferies Financial Group Stock Down 0.7 %

JEF stock opened at $63.10 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.91, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company’s 50 day moving average is $58.89 and its 200 day moving average is $51.32. The stock has a market cap of $12.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.97 and a beta of 1.32. Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.38 and a 1-year high of $64.54.

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, September 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.78 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $1.68 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.71 billion. Jefferies Financial Group had a return on equity of 6.46% and a net margin of 9.27%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 42.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.32 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Jefferies Financial Group Inc. will post 3.13 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Jefferies Financial Group Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 18th will be paid a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.22%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 18th. Jefferies Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio is currently 59.83%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on JEF shares. StockNews.com cut Jefferies Financial Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, June 21st. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $59.00 to $64.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 23rd. UBS Group started coverage on Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on Jefferies Financial Group from $64.00 to $66.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 13th.

Institutional Trading of Jefferies Financial Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Jefferies Financial Group by 92.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 376,597 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,608,000 after buying an additional 180,702 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Jefferies Financial Group by 1,386.7% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 141,963 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,064,000 after buying an additional 132,414 shares in the last quarter. Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the first quarter worth approximately $2,722,000. Fulton Bank N.A. purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the second quarter worth approximately $726,000. Finally, Seven Eight Capital LP boosted its stake in Jefferies Financial Group by 199.1% in the first quarter. Seven Eight Capital LP now owns 27,541 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,215,000 after buying an additional 18,332 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.88% of the company’s stock.

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.