Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Cuts Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target to $214.00

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its target price decreased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $218.00 to $214.00 in a report published on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

HLI has been the topic of several other reports. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings cut Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. UBS Group initiated coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $193.00 price target for the company. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $209.17.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

NYSE:HLI opened at $168.30 on Thursday. Houlihan Lokey has a 1-year low of $137.99 and a 1-year high of $211.78. The company has a 50-day moving average of $179.43 and a 200 day moving average of $188.77. The firm has a market cap of $11.79 billion, a PE ratio of 25.85 and a beta of 0.95.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The business had revenue of $717.07 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $696.72 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.64 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal 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 paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Houlihan Lokey’s payout ratio is presently 36.87%.

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting 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.

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.