Xponance Inc. Increases Stock Position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)

Xponance Inc. lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) by 195.6% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 6,597 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,365 shares during the quarter. Xponance Inc.’s holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $791,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Anchor Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 100.0% during the third quarter. Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. now owns 600 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 16.9% during the third quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 753 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $79,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter valued at approximately $87,000. Finally, Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $87,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $128.94, for a total transaction of $128,940.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 25.97% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

NYSE:HLI opened at $127.03 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $127.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $117.91. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 1-year low of $84.89 and a 1-year high of $133.80. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.78 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.52 and a beta of 0.68.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.10. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 14.90% and a return on equity of 18.06%. The firm had revenue of $511.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $493.02 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 4.42 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st were issued a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $2.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.73%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 54.59%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $127.00 price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Monday, January 29th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $136.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile

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.