Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Upgraded to “Hold” at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

HLI has been the subject of several other research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $210.00 to $184.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $205.00 to $193.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $177.00 to $172.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. UBS Group set a $160.00 price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $191.29.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLI opened at $137.84 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $9.52 billion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a PEG ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $149.39 and a 200 day moving average of $161.72. Houlihan Lokey has a one year low of $133.83 and a one year high of $211.78.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.79 by ($0.16). The company had revenue of $635.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $679.22 million. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 22.88% and a net margin of 16.26%.Houlihan Lokey’s revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.96 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 8.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from Houlihan Lokey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.0%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 45.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In other Houlihan Lokey news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total transaction of $71,700.00. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $71,700. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total transaction of $941,378.90. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 6,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $941,378.90. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 103.4% during the 1st 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% 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.