Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Hits New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)’s share price reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $134.41 and last traded at $138.8490, with a volume of 691336 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.42.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

HLI has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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 research note on Thursday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $243.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. 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. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.57.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Down 0.5%

The stock has a market cap of $9.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.70 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $162.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $178.64.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 24.46% and a net margin of 16.91%.The business’s revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The firm 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 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.7%. Houlihan Lokey’s payout ratio is currently 36.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HLI. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% during the third 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 period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter worth $31,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 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.