Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s What Happened

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $134.06 and last traded at $134.3360, with a volume of 37203 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $135.96.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on HLI shares. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $205.00 to $193.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $177.00 to $172.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, UBS Group set a $160.00 target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $191.29.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s fifty day moving average is $149.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $161.72.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.79 by ($0.16). Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 22.88%. The business had revenue of $635.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $679.22 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.96 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 8.54 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.02%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Houlihan Lokey news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $941,378.90. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 6,265 shares in the company, valued at $941,378.90. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total transaction of $71,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 500 shares in the company, valued at $71,700. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Henshaw Capital LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the 1st quarter worth $1,144,000. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 224.8% in the 1st quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC now owns 11,975 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,720,000 after buying an additional 8,288 shares in the last quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 36.7% in the 1st quarter. Segall Bryant & Hamill LLC now owns 120,258 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $17,271,000 after buying an additional 32,276 shares in the last quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 510.7% in the 1st quarter. Edgestream Partners L.P. now owns 55,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $7,948,000 after buying an additional 46,277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Amundi lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 322.8% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 113,465 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $16,296,000 after buying an additional 86,628 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.