UBS Group Cuts Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target to $163.00

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its price objective reduced by UBS Group from $196.00 to $163.00 in a research note published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other analysts have also commented on the company. Weiss Ratings lowered Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $243.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $204.57.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of HLI opened at $139.57 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $9.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.44 and a beta of 0.95. Houlihan Lokey has a twelve month low of $137.99 and a twelve month high of $211.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $170.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $182.15.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. Houlihan Lokey’s revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 36.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total transaction of $854,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. The trade was a 15.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total transaction of $87,085.00. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 22.83% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $230,335,000. ING Groep NV bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter worth approximately $4,640,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 75.6% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 713,494 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $146,495,000 after acquiring an additional 307,214 shares during the period. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $589,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 174,695 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,868,000 after purchasing an additional 14,483 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

About Houlihan Lokey

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.