Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target Raised to $153.00

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its target price hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $147.00 to $153.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised Houlihan Lokey to an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Citizens Jmp raised Houlihan Lokey from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $175.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, October 9th. Zacks Research upgraded Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $160.44.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

NYSE HLI opened at $138.02 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $131.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $144.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a PE ratio of 23.16, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.00. Houlihan Lokey has a fifty-two week low of $112.83 and a fifty-two week high of $202.49.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.22. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 15.78% and a return on equity of 19.94%. The business had revenue of $692.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $625.88 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.84 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 1st will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, December 1st. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Houlihan Lokey’s payout ratio is 46.98%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Houlihan Lokey news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total value of $140,150.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $140,150. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 22.53% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 400.0% in the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 103.4% during the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 236 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 120 shares during the period. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the second quarter worth about $55,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 91.0% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 510 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 243 shares during the period. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment banking and financial advisory firm that provides services to corporations, institutions, financial sponsors and governments. The company advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, financial restructuring and other strategic and corporate finance matters.

Its business also includes valuation and financial opinions, including fairness opinions, solvency opinions and other transaction-related analyses. Houlihan Lokey serves clients across a range of industries, with particular expertise in areas such as technology, media and telecommunications; financial services; healthcare; industrials; consumer products and services; and energy and natural resources.

Founded in 1972 by Roger Houlihan and O.