Oppenheimer Lowers Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) Price Target to $81.00

Jefferies Financial Group (NYSE:JEF) had its target price cut by equities researchers at Oppenheimer from $82.00 to $81.00 in a report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley raised Jefferies Financial Group from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the company from $67.00 to $97.00 in a research note on Monday, December 9th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Jefferies Financial Group in a research report on Tuesday, September 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $67.00 price objective on the stock.

Jefferies Financial Group Price Performance

JEF stock opened at $81.00 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $75.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $63.75. The stock has a market cap of $16.65 billion, a PE ratio of 34.62 and a beta of 1.35. Jefferies Financial Group has a one year low of $38.77 and a one year high of $82.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.53, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, President Brian P. Friedman sold 200,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.09, for a total transaction of $12,618,000.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 604,606 shares in the company, valued at $38,144,592.54. This trade represents a 24.86 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Richard B. Handler sold 400,000 shares of Jefferies Financial Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $72.26, for a total value of $28,904,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 14,971,288 shares in the company, valued at $1,081,825,270.88. This trade represents a 2.60 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 1,286,923 shares of company stock worth $88,999,151 in the last 90 days. 20.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Jefferies Financial Group

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in JEF. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the second quarter worth about $25,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Jefferies Financial Group by 158.3% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 514 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 315 shares during the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB purchased a new stake in Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Eastern Bank bought a new stake in shares of Jefferies Financial Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Jefferies Financial Group during the second quarter valued at approximately $48,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 60.88% of the company’s stock.

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.