Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight ratings firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $209.1667.

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on HLI shares. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $196.00 target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Friday, January 30th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total transaction of $87,085.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 22.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HLI. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $230,335,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 2nd quarter worth $126,723,000. Champlain Investment Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 194.9% during the second quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC now owns 546,340 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $98,314,000 after purchasing an additional 361,085 shares during the last quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 75.6% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 713,494 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $146,495,000 after purchasing an additional 307,214 shares during the period. Finally, Renaissance Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the second quarter valued at $34,115,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Up 0.1%

Shares of HLI opened at $167.74 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $137.99 and a 52-week high of $211.78. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $178.80 and a 200-day simple moving average of $188.00. The company has a market capitalization of $11.75 billion, a PE ratio of 25.77 and a beta of 0.94.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The company had revenue of $717.07 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $696.72 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be given a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 36.87%.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment bank and financial services firm founded in 1972 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The company specializes in advisory services across a broad range of transaction types and financial matters. Since its founding, Houlihan Lokey has grown to serve corporations, financial sponsors, and government entities worldwide, providing expertise in complex and high-stakes engagements.

The firm’s core service offerings include mergers and acquisitions advisory, capital markets advisory, financial restructuring and distressed M&A, and valuation and fairness opinions.