SF vs. JEF

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

SF (Stifel Financial Corp.) and JEF (Jefferies Financial Group Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — SF in Capital Markets, JEF in Financial Conglomerates. Over the past 10 years, SF returned 17.02%/yr vs 17.01%/yr for JEF. At a 0.40 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

SF vs. JEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, SF achieves a -16.10% return, which is significantly lower than JEF's -11.14% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with SF having a 17.02% annualized return and JEF not far behind at 17.01%.

SF

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: -9.49%
• YTD: -16.10%
• 6M: -12.63%
• 1Y: 13.73%
• 3Y*: 23.41%
• 5Y*: 10.79%
• 10Y*: 17.02%

JEF

• 1D: 1.97%
• 1M: 10.89%
• YTD: -11.14%
• 6M: -3.03%
• 1Y: 15.49%
• 3Y*: 23.53%
• 5Y*: 15.64%
• 10Y*: 17.01%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

SF vs. JEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
SF Stifel Financial Corp.	-16.10%	20.07%	56.37%	21.24%	-15.57%	40.79%	26.32%	47.99%	-29.86%	19.71%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.	-11.14%	-18.78%	98.84%	27.74%	-8.46%	61.95%	19.00%	44.18%	-33.15%	15.42%

Correlation

The correlation between SF and JEF is 0.69, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.69
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.71
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.74
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.70
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 6, 1987	0.40

Over the past year, SF and JEF have become more correlated (0.69) than their long-term average of 0.40, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

EPS SF : $8.03 JEF : $4.87
PE Ratio SF : 8.64 JEF : 11.15
PS Ratio SF : 1.17 JEF : 0.72
Total Revenue (TTM) SF : $6.51B JEF : $11.22B
Gross Profit (TTM) SF : $5.60B JEF : $6.66B
EBITDA (TTM) SF : $1.45B JEF : $1.12B

Return for Risk

SF vs. JEF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

SF

SF Risk / Return Rank: 54
SF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 59
SF Sortino Ratio Rank: 50
SF Omega Ratio Rank: 50
SF Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
SF Martin Ratio Rank: 56

JEF

JEF Risk / Return Rank: 49
JEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
JEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 47
JEF Omega Ratio Rank: 49
JEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 47
JEF Martin Ratio Rank: 48

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

SF vs. JEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	SF	JEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.54	0.39	+0.15
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.86	0.74	+0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.11	1.11	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.61	0.31	+0.30
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.46	0.70	+0.76
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

SF vs. JEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current SF Sharpe Ratio is 0.54, which is higher than the JEF Sharpe Ratio of 0.39. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of SF and JEF, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	SF	JEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.54	0.39	+0.15
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.35	0.44	-0.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.49	0.49	0.00
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.45	-0.21

Drawdowns

SF vs. JEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum SF drawdown since its inception was -78.37%, roughly equal to the maximum JEF drawdown of -80.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for SF and JEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	SF	JEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-78.37%	-80.74%	+2.37%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-21.20%	-48.05%	+26.85%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-34.67%	-54.39%	+19.72%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.25%	-54.39%	+18.14%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-51.89%	-54.39%	+2.50%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-21.14%	-30.78%	+9.64%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-29.18%	-25.53%	-3.65%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.87%	21.25%	-12.38%

Volatility

SF vs. JEF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) is 5.71%, while Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) has a volatility of 6.81%. This indicates that SF experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than JEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	SF	JEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.71%	6.81%	-1.10%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.96%	29.98%	-10.02%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	25.73%	40.38%	-14.65%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.21%	35.83%	-4.62%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	35.20%	34.96%	+0.24%

Dividends

SF vs. JEF - Dividend Comparison

SF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.86%, less than JEF's 2.95% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.	2.95%	2.58%	1.66%	2.97%	3.50%	2.32%	2.44%	8.07%	2.59%	1.23%	1.08%	1.44%
SF Stifel Financial Corp.	1.86%	1.47%	1.58%	2.08%	2.06%	0.85%	0.90%	0.99%	1.16%	0.34%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

SF vs. JEF - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Stifel Financial Corp. and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

SF - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported a gross profit of 1.38B and revenue of 1.67B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 82.8%.

JEF - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.68B and revenue of 2.87B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.5%.

SF - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported an operating income of 542.38M and revenue of 1.67B, resulting in an operating margin of 32.6%.

JEF - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 2.87B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

SF - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Stifel Financial Corp. reported a net income of 251.42M and revenue of 1.67B, resulting in a net margin of 15.1%.

JEF - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported a net income of 155.70M and revenue of 2.87B, resulting in a net margin of 5.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both SF and JEF in my portfolio?

SF and JEF have a correlation of 0.69, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, SF or JEF?

JEF has higher volatility (6.81%) compared to SF (5.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, SF dropped -78.37% vs JEF's -80.74%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

SF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.54 vs 0.39), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.