Jefferies Financial Group reports Q2 EPS 64c, consensus 63c

Reports Q2 revenue $1.66B, two estimates $1.59B. “Our second quarter net revenues of $1.66 billion reflect continued positive momentum in Investment Banking and another solid quarter in Capital Markets, with particularly strong performance in Equities. Investment Banking net revenues of $803 million were up 8.6% from the prior quarter and 59.4% from the same quarter last year across all lines of business. Overall, momentum continues to build across our Investment Banking business, as the market opportunity improves and the investment we have made in our platform translates to increased market share. We are increasingly optimistic about the second half of 2024 and 2025 based on our backlog and trends we observe today. Capital Markets net revenues of $691 million were modestly lower than the prior quarter and up 24.1% versus the same quarter last year, with strength in Equities offsetting a moderation in Fixed Income after its strong first quarter. Asset Management had a reasonable performance, as market conditions for trading in certain of our strategies normalized after a strong first quarter. Our performance this year across business lines has resulted in improved operating margins versus last year. We expect margins to continue to improve as we realize the full potential of investments we have made in our Investment Banking platform and the market for investment banking activity continues to strengthen. We believe margins also will benefit over time from maintaining a strong discipline around expenses and leveraging investments made in technology that drive innovation, increase productivity, and strengthen our offerings and capabilities. Overall, we feel very positive about the direction and prospects of Jefferies. Our alliance with SMBC continues to gain momentum, we closed on the sale of Foursight, we continue to make smart investments in technology that will support our future growth and, most importantly, we have an incredible culture of delivering for our clients, while supporting our people and our communities,” said CEO Richard Handler.