8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

Current Report

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 28, 2016

COWEN GROUP, INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware	001-34516	27-0423711
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

599 Lexington Avenue

New York, NY 10022

(Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (212) 845-7900

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01.    Other Events.

On April 28, 2016, Cowen Group, Inc. (the “Company”) issued a press release announcing that the Company’s Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $14.06 per share on the Company’s 5.625% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock. The dividend is payable on May 16, 2016, to the holders of record at the close of business on May 1, 2016. A copy of the press release is attached hereto at Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)	Exhibits. The following exhibits are filed herewith:
Exhibit 99.1	Press Release issued by the Company dated April 28, 2016.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

COWEN GROUP, INC.

Dated: April 28, 2016                By:     /s/ Owen S. Littman            

Name:    Owen S. Littman     

Title:     General Counsel

EX-99.1

Press Release

COWEN GROUP, INC. DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND ON ITS

SERIES A CUMULATIVE PERPETUAL CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCK

New York, April 28, 2016 — Cowen Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: COWN) (“Cowen” or the “Company”) today announced that its board of directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $14.06 per share on the Company’s 5.625% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Convertible Preferred Stock”).

The quarterly dividend on the Convertible Preferred Stock is payable on May 16, 2016, to holders of record at the close of business on May 1, 2016.

About Cowen Group, Inc.

Cowen Group, Inc. is a diversified financial services firm and, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, provides alternative asset management, investment banking, research, sales and trading and prime brokerage services through its two business segments: Ramius and its affiliates make up the Company’s alternative investment segment, while Cowen and Company and its affiliates make up the Company’s broker-dealer segment. Ramius provides alternative asset management solutions to a global client base and manages a significant portion of Cowen’s proprietary capital. Cowen and Company and its affiliates offer industry focused investment banking for growth-oriented companies, domain knowledge-driven research, a sales and trading platform for institutional investors and a comprehensive suite of prime brokerage services. Founded in 1918, the firm is headquartered in New York and has offices worldwide. For additional information, visit www.cowen.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Company’s expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by

the forward-looking statements.  The Company’s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements for many reasons, including the factors described in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q are available at our website at www.cowen.com and at the Securities and Exchange Commission website at www.sec.gov. Unless required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this press release.

SOURCE:    Cowen Group, Inc.

CONTACT:    Stephen Lasota

212-845-7919

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