Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF)

In the past six months, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. stock has experienced volatility. The stock price fell by approximately 8% on October 8, 2025, due to its exposure to the First Brands Group bankruptcy, contributing to a 23.7% decline over ten sessions. The stock rallied by 4.9% on October 13, 2025, after reassurances from the CEO. As of November 25, 2025, JEF's stock was down 28.08% over the last year, and as of September 13, 2025, the stock was down 14% year-to-date.

The demand for Jefferies Financial Group's products and services is influenced by market cycles, leading to potentially volatile financial figures. Investment banking experienced a dampening of M&A activity and curtailed new capital markets issuance in 2023. The company's global expansion and diversification into asset management are strategic efforts aimed at making its future fundamentals less cyclical. Despite cyclical challenges in some areas, other segments like equities, fixed income, and asset management have performed well during periods of uncertainty.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. operates in the financial services sector, focusing on investment banking and financial services. The company's core business includes investment banking, capital markets, asset management, and direct investing. Jefferies provides advisory services for M&A, restructuring, and capital raising, along with equity and fixed income trading and research. They also offer underwriting services, wealth management, and alternative asset management solutions.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has a significant global presence, with 48 offices in 20 countries across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The company operates in major developed economies and emerging markets. Key locations include New York, London, Hong Kong, Dubai, Frankfurt, Mumbai, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto.

Jefferies Financial Group generally maintains a solid reputation in the financial world, recognized as a leading equity research franchise and ranking #14 for best companies to work for in investment banking. The company emphasizes its strong culture, client focus, and consistent leadership. However, its brand reputation faced scrutiny due to its disclosed exposure to the bankruptcy of First Brands Group, raising concerns about transparency in private credit markets and leading to an investigation into the company's handling of receivables.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s ownership is a mix of institutional, retail, and individual investors. Approximately 57.76% of the company's stock is held by institutional investors, 10.45% by insiders, and 31.79% by public companies and individual investors. Major institutional owners include BlackRock, Inc., Vanguard Group Inc, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc., Allspring Global Investments Holdings, LLC, and Alliancebernstein L.p. Richard Handler, the CEO, holds the most shares among individual owners.