Morgan Stanley Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock Price

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its price objective lowered by research analysts at Morgan Stanley from $216.00 to $215.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target points to a potential upside of 17.35% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on HLI. UBS Group started coverage on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $193.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $230.00 to $228.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $230.00 price target for the company. Zacks Research lowered Houlihan Lokey from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, September 29th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $210.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $207.71.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

Shares of Houlihan Lokey stock opened at $183.22 on Tuesday. Houlihan Lokey has a 1 year low of $137.99 and a 1 year high of $211.78. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $178.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $188.94. The company has a market capitalization of $12.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.55 and a beta of 0.95.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.84 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.15. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 24.17% and a net margin of 16.62%.The firm had revenue of $659.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $639.08 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 EPS. Houlihan Lokey’s quarterly revenue was up 14.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In other news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total transaction of $87,085.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 22.83% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sowell Financial Services LLC increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 1.2% during the third quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 4,571 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $939,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 5,845 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,052,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 1,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $345,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 16.5% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 467 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.