UBS Group AG Trims Position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI

UBS Group AG lessened its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) by 16.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 237,228 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 45,523 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG’s holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $41,323,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,305,182 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,089,260,000 after buying an additional 13,750 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 4.1% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,041,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $187,506,000 after buying an additional 41,470 shares during the period. Capital Research Global Investors raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 19.7% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 956,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $196,376,000 after buying an additional 157,605 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 10.4% in the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 874,078 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $157,291,000 after buying an additional 82,002 shares during the period. Finally, Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 717,952 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $147,410,000 after buying an additional 27,328 shares during the period. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Houlihan Lokey News

Here are the key news stories impacting Houlihan Lokey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company raised its quarterly dividend to $0.70 (16.7% increase), with an ex‑dividend/record timetable in early June — this boosts yield (~1.8%) and returns cash to shareholders, supporting investor demand.
• Positive Sentiment: Fiscal‑year revenue grew to $2.62B from $2.39B a year earlier, showing annual top‑line expansion despite a weaker quarter. Business Wire: Fiscal Year and Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its price target from $177 to $172 but kept an “outperform” rating — a modest downgrade that still implies upside vs. the current share level. Benzinga: KBW Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and outlets published transcripts, metric breakdowns and valuation pieces assessing the quarter and HLI’s multiple; these provide color but no material guidance change so far. Examples: earnings call transcript and valuation writeups. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Core near‑term catalyst: Q4 results missed estimates — EPS of $1.63 vs. consensus ~ $1.79–$1.84 and revenue of ~$636M vs. est. ~$679M. Revenue fell ~4.6% year‑over‑year and quarterly profitability softened, which is the primary reason for downward estimate revisions and investor caution. Zacks: HLI Misses Q4 Estimates

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

NYSE:HLI opened at $153.39 on Friday. The business’s 50-day moving average is $150.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $168.85. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 12 month low of $134.41 and a 12 month high of $211.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.70 billion, a PE ratio of 24.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.99.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 23.15%. The company had revenue of $635.64 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $679.22 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.96 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 8.73 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. 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. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is 38.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In other 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 completion of the sale, the general counsel directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at $71,700. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 22.83% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

About Houlihan Lokey

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.