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Jefferies Financial GroupJEF -1.29%88 Debt-to-Equity is 2.51 as of May. 2026, which is 28% above its 10-year median of 1.96. GuruFocus rates JEF with a GF Score™ of 88/100 and a GF Value™ of $61.11 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 609 Capital Markets companies, Jefferies Financial Group ranks worse than 91.46% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
JEF'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.08 Med: 1.96 Max: 2.51
Current: 2.51
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Jefferies Financial Group was 2.51. The lowest was 1.08. And the median was 1.96.
JEF's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 91.46% of 609
companies
in the Capital Markets industry
Industry Median: 0.32
vs JEF: 2.51
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Jefferies Financial Group Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Jefferies Financial Group Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Capital Markets subindustry, Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Jefferies Financial Group Debt-to-Equity vs Capital Markets Industry
For the Capital Markets industry and Financial Services sector, Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Jefferies Financial Group (JEF) has a Debt-to-Equity of 2.51 as of May. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Jefferies Financial Group and its competitors. This is 28% above median its historical median of 1.96. Over the past decade, Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.08 to 2.51. According to the industry distribution chart, Jefferies Financial Group ranks #557 out of 609 companies in the Capital Markets industry, placing it in the top 91.5%.
Is Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Jefferies Financial Group's current Debt-to-Equity of 2.51 is 28% above median its 10-year median of 1.96. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.08 to a high of 2.51. The Capital Markets industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.32. Jefferies Financial Group's value of 2.51 is 684.4% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Jefferies Financial Group ranks #557 out of 609 companies in the Capital Markets industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Jefferies Financial Group has a GF Score™ of 88/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Jefferies Financial Group's Debt-to-Equity compare to EVR and IREN?
According to the Capital Markets industry distribution chart, Jefferies Financial Group ranks #557 out of 609 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Jefferies Financial Group in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.32. Jefferies Financial Group's value of 2.51 is 684.4% above this benchmark. Historically, Jefferies Financial Group's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.08 to 2.51 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.96 vs. the industry median of 0.32, Jefferies Financial Group has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Capital Markets company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Capital Markets companies is 0.32, based on 609 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Jefferies Financial Group's current Debt-to-Equity of 2.51 is 684.4% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Jefferies Financial Group and its competitors. For the Capital Markets industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.32 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Jefferies Financial Group's current Debt-to-Equity is 2.51, which is 28% above median its own 10-year median of 1.96. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Jefferies Financial Group stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Jefferies Financial Group (JEF) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $61.11, compared to a current price of $55.14 — trading 9.8% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 2.51, which is 28% above median its 10-year median of 1.96 and 684.4% above the Capital Markets industry median of 0.32. Jefferies Financial Group's overall GF Score™ is 88/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Jefferies Financial Group (JEF), the current Debt-to-Equity is 2.51 as of May. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Jefferies Financial Group (JEF) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Jefferies Financial Group stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $55.14 is trading 9.8% below its estimated GF Value™ of $61.11.
GuruFocus considers Jefferies Financial Group to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for JEF:
Debt-to-Equity: 2.51 (28% above median its 10-year median of 1.96)
GF Value™: $61.11 vs. price of $55.14 (9.8% below fair value)
Industry Position: 684.4% above the Capital Markets median (#557 of 609)
No single metric tells the full story. See the JEF stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Jefferies Financial Group is a full-service investment banking and capital markets firm that was founded in 1962. After nearly 30 years of focusing on institutional trading services, it entered the investment banking industry in the early 1990s, which ultimately grew into the core business. In 2013, Jefferies merged with Leucadia, a manufacturing-focused holding company. Since merging, Jefferies became the core of the combined business as the bulk of the legacy portfolio was sold off and the parent company was renamed to match the subsidiary. Within the investment banking landscape, Jefferies predominately serves the North American middle market and has captured considerable market share over the past decade.
88GF Score
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