Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $209.1667.

HLI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft assumed coverage on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $210.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $196.00 price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Friday. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday.

Trending Headlines about Houlihan Lokey

Here are the key news stories impacting Houlihan Lokey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarter beat consensus — Houlihan Lokey reported stronger-than-expected results for the quarter reported Jan. 28 (EPS $1.94 vs. $1.85 est; revenue $717.1M vs. $696.7M; revenue +13% y/y). That beat supports valuation and analyst estimate updates. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate finance momentum and European expansion highlighted by management as drivers of the quarter, indicating growth in fee-based advisory across regions. This reinforces the beat and medium-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $211 with an “outperform” rating, signaling continued analyst conviction and ~25% upside vs. current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60/share (annualized yield ~1.4%), which supports total-return investors and underscores cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target from $218 to $214 but kept an “outperform” rating — a modest technical revision rather than a negative rerating. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed transcripts and analyst notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) provide granular disclosure on segment performance and metrics; useful for modeling but not a discrete catalyst. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the beats, the stock is down today — likely profit-taking after recent run-up (12‑month high ~$211.78) and some mixed analyst actions. Elevated intraday volume suggests short-term selling pressure.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HLI opened at $168.30 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey has a 1 year low of $137.99 and a 1 year high of $211.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.79 billion, a PE ratio of 25.85 and a beta of 0.95. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $179.43 and its 200-day moving average price is $188.77.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its quarterly 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. The firm had revenue of $717.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $696.72 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.64 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.87%.

Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 22.83% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter valued at $230,335,000. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the third quarter valued at $589,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 63.2% in the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 33,430 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,016,000 after buying an additional 12,944 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 112.7% during the third quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 11,607 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $2,383,000 after buying an additional 6,150 shares during the period. Finally, Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 3.3% during the second quarter. Legacy Wealth Asset Management LLC now owns 1,916 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $345,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.