Legal & General Group (LON:LGEN) Given “Underperform” Rating at Jefferies Financial Group

Legal & General Group (LON:LGEN)‘s stock had its “underperform” rating reiterated by equities researchers at Jefferies Financial Group in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,London Stock Exchange reports. They currently have a GBX 185 price target on the financial services provider’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s target price points to a potential downside of 39.52% from the stock’s previous close.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the company. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “buy” rating and set a GBX 308 price objective on shares of Legal & General Group in a report on Friday, May 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “underperform” rating and set a GBX 255 target price on shares of Legal & General Group in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Peel Hunt reaffirmed an “add” rating and issued a GBX 320 price target on shares of Legal & General Group in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Legal & General Group from GBX 249 to GBX 251 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of GBX 265.29.

Legal & General Group Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of LGEN traded up GBX 3.10 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching GBX 305.90. The stock had a trading volume of 93,150,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,811,547. The firm has a 50-day moving average of GBX 286.50 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 268.91. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 59.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1,100.04. The company has a market cap of £16.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.41, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.80. Legal & General Group has a 52 week low of GBX 217.20 and a 52 week high of GBX 310.

Legal & General Group (LON:LGEN) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The financial services provider reported GBX 8.01 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Legal & General Group had a return on equity of 15.89% and a net margin of 0.91%. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Legal & General Group will post 24.2376446 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Mark Jordy purchased 3,494 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 303 per share, for a total transaction of £10,586.82. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 8,390 shares of company stock valued at $2,444,751. Company insiders own 0.59% of the company’s stock.

Key Legal & General Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Legal & General Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Legal & General reported quarterly earnings of GBX 8.01 per share. Although the release did not provide a comparison with analyst estimates, the company reported a 15.89% return on equity, reinforcing its profitability profile. Legal and General earnings information
• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying is providing an additional confidence signal. Non-executive director Mark Jordy bought 3,494 shares for approximately £10,587 at GBX 303, while executive Andrew Kail purchased 73 shares for about £220 at GBX 302. Jordy has also made purchases in each of the previous two months. Legal and General insider buying
• Positive Sentiment: The company repurchased and canceled approximately 1.75 million ordinary shares under its ongoing buyback. A smaller share count can support earnings per share and signals continued capital returns to investors. Legal and General share buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Peel Hunt reaffirmed its “add” rating and set a GBX 320 price target, indicating potential upside from recent trading levels. Peel Hunt Legal and General rating
• Positive Sentiment: Five senior executives increased their holdings through the company’s employee share plan, adding to the recent insider-ownership support. Executive share purchases
• Neutral Sentiment: Legal & General admitted 169,845 new shares connected with an employee scheme. The issuance partially offsets the buyback’s reduction in shares but is primarily an administrative matter. Employee scheme share listing
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst views remain mixed. RBC and Jefferies rate the stock “underperform,” while the broader consensus is “hold,” with average targets around GBX 256–265—below recent levels. This suggests valuation concerns could limit further gains despite the positive momentum.

About Legal & General Group

Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in Legal & General Retirement Institutional (LGRI), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Retail segments. The LGRI segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; and longevity insurance products. The LGIM segment offers index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real assets.