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Jefferies' third-quarter profit falls short of expectations as M&A sputters

2023-09-28 06:25
By Niket Nishant and Lananh Nguyen (Reuters) -Jefferies Financial Group reported a smaller-than-expected third-quarter profit on Wednesday as lingering economic
Jefferies' third-quarter profit falls short of expectations as M&A sputters

By Niket Nishant and Lananh Nguyen

(Reuters) -Jefferies Financial Group reported a smaller-than-expected third-quarter profit on Wednesday as lingering economic uncertainty kept dealmaking in check, but the firm said it was hiring more managing directors for next year.

Shares of the New York-based company fell 2.1% after the bell, even as it forecast a more "normal" investment banking environment in 2024.

The biggest hit to earnings came from the asset management unit, where revenue plummeted 97% from last year, which had included results from units Jefferies has since shed.

But market conditions are beginning to improve, the bank said, bolstering the view that mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are starting to pick up pace after the Federal Reserve signaled it is nearing the end of its tightening cycle.

Investment banking revenue was $644.6 million, about 2% lower than last year but nearly 28% higher than the prior quarter.

“The markets are thawing out and beginning to warm a bit,” Jefferies President Brian Friedman said in an interview.

“The market for the services we provide has pretty good demand across the board - it needs to be translated into transactions,” he said, citing recent initial public offerings and a pickup in merger discussions.

Jefferies said it expects around 360 managing directors in its investment banking franchise at the beginning of 2024, up from the 299 that it started this year with.

“As long as I’ve been involved in running investment banking firms, the opportunity to hire and grow is best in downturns,” Friedman said.

“One needs to have the fortitude and the commitment to make the moves that are available in more challenging moments.”

The bank's results are often viewed as a prelude to earnings at Wall Street titans such as JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs Group and Morgan Stanley.

Jefferies' profit slumped 74% to $51.4 million, or 22 cents per share, for the three months ended Aug. 31, compared to analysts' average estimate of 33 cents per share, according to LSEG data.

Here is a look at the new investment banking MDs in financial year 2023:

Designation Executive Previous

organizati

on

Executive John Miller Barclays

Co-Chair of

Global

Investment

Banking and

capital

markets

Chairman of Ron Eliasek Bank of

TMT Banking America

MD, tech Jon Credit

team Gegenheimer Suisse

Global Head Stas JPMorgan

of Byhovsky

Healthcare

IT Banking

Vice Rich Siegel Barclays

Chairman,

Industrials

MD, Sam Jackson Barclays

Industrials

Vice Mark Hudson Barclays

Chairman,

overseeing

Industrials

M&A

EMEA Head of Gavriel Barclays

Consumer Lambert

Retail and

Global

Co-Head of

Retail

Energy David Guggenheim

Transition Dolezal,

Banking team Kyle Baker

and Jeff

Tang

Financial Evan Barclays

Services Rothenberg,

Group Kurt

banking Kohlmeyer

capabilities and Mike

Guinge

International expansion:

Designation Previous

Region Executive organization

Europe & Head of Igor De UBS

UK France Limur

Investment

Banking

Coverage

Europe & Vice Sam Dean Barclays

UK Chairman of

Investment

Banking

Europe & Co-Heads, Glenn Rothschild

UK EMEA Cronin and Lazard,

Restructuri and David respectively

ng group Burlison

Europe & Country Andrea Credit Suisse

UK Head, Italy Donzelli

APAC Head of SEA Amrit Credit Suisse

M&A Kolluru

APAC Vice Rizal Credit Suisse

Chairman, Gozali

SEA and

Head of

Indonesia

APAC Co-Head of Rehan Credit Suisse

Asia IB Anwer

APAC Head of Felicity Credit Suisse

Asia ECM Chan

Syndicate

and SEA ECM

Origination

APAC Private Dennis HI

capital Kwan Transformatio

advisory nal Fund

Australi Vice Dominic Macquarie

a Chairman Meagher

Industrials

Australi Vice Mark Morgan

a Chairman of Burmeiste Stanley

Australia r

Capital

Markets

Australi Head of Julian Gresham

a Infrastruct Babich

ure Banking

Australi Lead, ECM Mike Macquarie

a Syndicate Johnson

LATAM Lead, Alejandro JPMorgan

Brazil Guevara

Investment

Banking

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru, Lananh Nguyen and Nupur Anand in New York; Additional reporting by Pritam Biswas; Editing by Pooja Desai)