March 24 - Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (SMFG) has reportedly put together a team to ensure it could move quickly should an opportunity arise to acquire U.S. investment bank Jefferies, according to media accounts. Following the coverage, Jefferies’ stock climbed about 6% in Frankfurt trading.
Those familiar with the matter said SMFG’s internal group is focused on readiness - preparing options if Jefferies’ weakening share price makes a bid feasible. Jefferies’ equity has tumbled more than 36% so far this year, after sizeable declines last year tied to troubles linked to a unit associated with Jefferies’ asset management arm and its exposure to First Brands, a U.S. auto parts supplier that filed for bankruptcy.
The report could not be independently verified. Jefferies did not immediately answer a request for comment, and SMFG was not immediately available to comment.
People familiar with the situation cautioned that any approach by SMFG is not imminent and that there is no guarantee Jefferies’ executives would accept an offer at depressed levels of the bank’s stock. Jefferies operates as an independent investment bank that competes against many of the largest Wall Street firms; it has a market capitalization of $8.17 billion, using LSEG data. SMFG’s market capitalisation is roughly $124 billion.
Jefferies has faced intensified scrutiny over its lending standards and risk tolerance after the collapses of the British lender Market Financial Solutions and First Brands. Investors have filed suits against Jefferies, alleging the bank defrauded them into investments linked to First Brands. Those claims point to about $715 million of receivables owed to Jefferies’ Leucadia Asset Management unit.
Market participants and analysis tools have questioned whether Jefferies is a buy at current prices. Some valuation services highlight a Fair Value calculator that combines 17 different valuation models to assess whether JEF is trading below its intrinsic value.
Contextual note: The situation, as reported, describes preparatory steps rather than an active sale or acquisition process; it describes internal readiness at SMFG and uncertainty over whether Jefferies’ management would sell at current valuations.