(Reuters) -Investment bank Jefferies Financial Group Inc on Tuesday reported a smaller-than-expected drop in profit for the first quarter as strength in its capital markets business helped cushion a lull in dealmaking.
After a stellar run in 2021, U.S. investment banking giants struggled for most of last year as the Federal Reserve's aggressive monetary tightening raised borrowing costs in a blow to corporate appetite for deals.
The capital markets unit benefited from the rise in volatility, however, as investors rejigged portfolios to hedge against risk. The segment's revenue surged 33% on increased trading in equities and fixed income.
Total net revenue still dropped 24% to $1.28 billion, hit by declines in the asset management and investment banking units.
Jefferies posted a profit of 54 cents a share, exceeding analysts' estimates of 43 cents a share, according to data from Refinitiv IBES.
The New York-based financial institution's results are often viewed as a prelude to earnings at Wall Street titans such as JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE:JPM), Goldman Sachs Group Inc (NYSE:GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS).
The results come at a time of turmoil for the U.S. banking industry, after the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank (OTC:SBNY) earlier this month sent tremors through the global financial system.
In a further blow, Swiss giant Credit Suisse was taken over by UBS for $3 billion in a state-orchestrated rescue.
"We do not know when the capital markets will return to some version of normalcy, but our plan is to be well-positioned to gain even further market share and take advantage of the dislocations affecting our industry," Jefferies CEO Richard Handler and President Brian Friedman said in a statement.
They had previously forecast that capital markets would improve in the second half of 2023, according to a letter seen by Reuters earlier this month.