Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac shares tumble after conservatorship comments
Investing.com -- Jefferies Financial Group Inc (NYSE:JEF) shares declined 2.5% in after-hours trading following the release of mixed second-quarter results for fiscal 2025.
The investment bank reported $1.63 billion in net revenue, beating consensus forecasts, but earnings per share fell slightly short at $0.40 versus analyst expectations of $0.42.
Net earnings attributable to common shareholders dropped to $88 million, a 40% decrease from the same period in the prior year. The decline was attributed to underperformance in Fixed Income trading and reduced activity from Jefferies Finance, which offset gains seen in other parts of the business.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) lowered their price target on Jefferies shares by $1 to $54, "primarily on lower fixed income trading revenues."
The bank expects the stock to be "choppy" on Thursday "as the market digests the mixed quarter."
"Quarter itself had some pushes and pulls, with activity improving in May," it added.
Investment banking net revenues rose 6.4% year-over-year to $786 million, driven by a 61% increase in Advisory revenue to $458 million as mergers and acquisitions activity gained traction. However, Equity underwriting revenue plunged 51%, highlighting continued market volatility and investor skittishness in capital formation.
“Despite the difficult first two months of this period, our quarterly Investment Banking Advisory activity was particularly strong and we believe our momentum and market position continues to strengthen,” said CEO Richard Handler and President Brian Friedman. They added, “Given the strength of our current backlog, overall activity levels and an abundance of discussions with clients around capital formation, strategic opportunities and their need to transact, we are increasingly optimistic about the second half of 2025.”
Capital markets posted net revenue of $704 million, a modest year-over-year decline. Segment performance was bifurcated, with a 24% rise in Equities revenue to $526 million offset by a 37% slump in Fixed Income, amid weak global trading activity in distressed and securitized products.
Asset Management revenue decreased slightly to $155 million primarily due to a drop in management fees, but investment returns within the quarter rose 43%, buoyed by stronger performance across certain strategies. Year-to-date, however, the segment remains below 2024 levels.
Despite recent earnings underperformance and earnings misses in three of the last four quarters, Jefferies maintained its quarterly dividend at $0.40 per share, payable on August 29. The firm also executed $58 million in share repurchases, aiming to stabilize returns amid broader industry uncertainty.
Jefferies stock fell after markets absorbed the earnings report. As macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility continue to weigh on underwriting and trading activity, Jefferies’ strong M&A advisory business and expanding deal pipeline may be key to restoring investor confidence in the back half of the year.
(Luke Juricic contributed to this report.)