M&T Bank Corp Makes New Investment in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI

M&T Bank Corp purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 6,693 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $1,166,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC boosted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 179.2% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 201 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 129 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $210.00 to $184.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. UBS Group set a $160.00 price objective on Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings lowered Houlihan Lokey from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $177.00 to $172.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $191.29.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

NYSE HLI opened at $152.88 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.58, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.99. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 1-year low of $134.41 and a 1-year high of $211.78. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $150.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $168.85.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.79 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $635.64 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $679.22 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 22.88%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.96 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 8.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.59%.

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 Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total transaction of $71,700.00. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $71,700. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

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.