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

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $180.50.

HLI has been the topic of a number of research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $193.00 to $187.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $164.00 price target on Houlihan Lokey in a report on Friday, July 10th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $172.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Finally, US Capital Advisors set a $187.00 target price on Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, July 9th.

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In other Houlihan Lokey news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the chairman owned 6,265 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $941,378.90. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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 owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 103.4% during the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 236 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

HLI opened at $140.17 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey has a 1 year low of $130.72 and a 1 year high of $211.78. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $140.85 and a 200 day moving average price of $153.78. The company has a market cap of $9.68 billion, a PE ratio of 22.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.95.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period last year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 7.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

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

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.