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

Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) have been assigned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $174.6250.

Several research firms have recently commented on HLI. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $187.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. US Capital Advisors set a $187.00 price objective on Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $161.00 to $147.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 11th.

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In other Houlihan Lokey news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $941,378.90. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HLI. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in 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 worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Houlihan Lokey

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

• Positive Sentiment: Houlihan Lokey declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share, payable September 15 to shareholders of record September 1. The dividend implies an annualized yield of approximately 2.2%, providing shareholder income.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating despite lowering its price target to $177 from $187, while Keefe, Bruyette & Woods retained an “outperform” rating and reduced its target to $153 from $160. Both targets remain substantially above the recent trading level, suggesting analysts expect a recovery.
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $147 from $161 and maintained a “neutral” rating. The revised target still indicates upside, but the cut reflects more cautious expectations for the company’s valuation or near-term performance. Houlihan Lokey Given New $147 Price Target at UBS Group
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal Q1 earnings were well below expectations: adjusted EPS was $1.35 versus the $1.64 consensus, and revenue was $511 million versus $602.38 million expected. EPS also fell from $2.14 a year earlier, while revenue declined 15.6% year over year. The sizable earnings and revenue misses are the primary catalyst weighing on HLI. Houlihan Lokey Misses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Houlihan Lokey Trading Down 2.4%

Shares of HLI opened at $125.21 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $139.40 and a 200 day moving average price of $152.13. Houlihan Lokey has a 12-month low of $112.83 and a 12-month high of $211.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.95.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.29). Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.10% and a return on equity of 20.20%. The firm had revenue of $511.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $602.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.14 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 7.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 47.06%.

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.