Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) General Counsel Christopher Crain Sells 1,000 Shares of Stock

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) General Counsel Christopher Crain sold 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total value of $140,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $140,150. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

Shares of HLI stock opened at $136.44 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $112.83 and a fifty-two week high of $211.78. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $133.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $142.70. The firm has a market cap of $9.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.93, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.96.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $602.38 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $2.14 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 6.93 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Houlihan Lokey’s payout ratio is currently 47.06%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $153.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Wolfe Research upgraded Houlihan Lokey from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. UBS Group decreased 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, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $187.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $166.38.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Resources Management Corp CT ADV increased its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 5,845 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,052,000 after purchasing an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,156 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $201,000 after buying an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,267 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $917,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 7.9% during the third quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 956 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 4.4% during the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,694 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 72 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment bank that provides financial advisory services to corporations, financial sponsors, governments and other institutions. Its principal activities include mergers and acquisitions, capital markets advisory, financial restructuring, and valuation and financial opinions.

The company advises clients on acquisitions, divestitures, strategic alternatives, recapitalizations, fairness opinions and other complex financial matters. Its restructuring business supports companies, creditors and other stakeholders dealing with distressed situations, while its valuation and financial advisory practice provides analyses related to financial reporting, tax, litigation and strategic planning.

Founded in 1972, Houlihan Lokey has expanded from its origins in the United States into an international advisory firm serving clients across North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and other global markets.