Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Receives Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $209.1667.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on HLI shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

Shares of HLI stock opened at $168.30 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey has a one year low of $137.99 and a one year high of $211.78. The company has a market capitalization of $11.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.85 and a beta of 0.95. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $179.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $188.77.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. The company had revenue of $717.07 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $696.72 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.64 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 36.87%.

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In other news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total value of $87,085.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in 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 valued at $1,089,260,000 after acquiring an additional 13,750 shares during the period. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 3.0% during the second quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,225,966 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $220,613,000 after purchasing an additional 36,144 shares in the last quarter. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter valued at $230,335,000. Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 4.1% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 1,041,990 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $187,506,000 after purchasing an additional 41,470 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 2.1% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,041,590 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $187,462,000 after purchasing an additional 21,132 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

More Houlihan Lokey News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarter beat consensus — Houlihan Lokey reported stronger-than-expected results for the quarter reported Jan. 28 (EPS $1.94 vs. $1.85 est; revenue $717.1M vs. $696.7M; revenue +13% y/y). That beat supports valuation and analyst estimate updates. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate finance momentum and European expansion highlighted by management as drivers of the quarter, indicating growth in fee-based advisory across regions. This reinforces the beat and medium-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $211 with an “outperform” rating, signaling continued analyst conviction and ~25% upside vs. current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60/share (annualized yield ~1.4%), which supports total-return investors and underscores cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target from $218 to $214 but kept an “outperform” rating — a modest technical revision rather than a negative rerating. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed transcripts and analyst notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) provide granular disclosure on segment performance and metrics; useful for modeling but not a discrete catalyst. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the beats, the stock is down today — likely profit-taking after recent run-up (12‑month high ~$211.78) and some mixed analyst actions. Elevated intraday volume suggests short-term selling pressure.

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.