StockNews.com Downgrades Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) to Hold

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) was downgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Wednesday.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $146.00 to $163.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $132.00 to $129.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and set a $154.00 target price (up from $139.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company initiated coverage on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, September 12th. They issued an “underweight” rating and a $149.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $157.00.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Up 1.1 %

NYSE:HLI traded up $1.98 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $186.99. 328,477 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 321,555. The company’s 50 day moving average is $168.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $150.82. The company has a market capitalization of $13.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.24 and a beta of 0.65. Houlihan Lokey has a twelve month low of $102.29 and a twelve month high of $190.66.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.31 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $574.96 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $537.93 million. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 19.29% and a net margin of 15.77%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 23.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.11 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.79 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Gillian Beth Zucker sold 200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $168.08, for a total value of $33,616.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 6,601 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,109,496.08. This trade represents a 2.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.29, for a total value of $155,290.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 1,400 shares of company stock worth $219,362. Corporate insiders own 23.68% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the second quarter worth approximately $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC increased its position in Houlihan Lokey by 264.5% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the second quarter worth $38,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the third quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in Houlihan Lokey by 81.5% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc, an investment banking company, provides merger and acquisition (M&A), capital market, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Corporate Finance, Financial Restructuring, and Financial and Valuation Advisory.