Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Reaches New 12-Month Low – What’s Next?

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) shares reached a new 52-week low during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $136.76 and last traded at $137.4750, with a volume of 104997 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $138.89.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on HLI shares. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, March 9th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $196.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.57.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Down 0.6%

The company has a market capitalization of $9.63 billion, a PE ratio of 21.19 and a beta of 0.95. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $167.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $180.87.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. Houlihan Lokey’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.64 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 36.87%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total transaction of $87,085.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total value of $854,300.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 27,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. The trade was a 15.16% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% during the 3rd quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Institutional investors 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.