Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Hits New 52-Week Low – Time to Sell?

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $134.41 and last traded at $138.8490, with a volume of 691336 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $140.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $196.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $243.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings cut Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.57.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Down 1.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $9.69 billion, a PE ratio of 21.33 and a beta of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $164.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $179.16.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 36.87%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In other Houlihan Lokey news, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total value of $854,300.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 27,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. This represents a 15.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total value of $87,085.00. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HLI. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.3% in the third 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 last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 362.1% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,703,369 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $296,706,000 after buying an additional 1,334,769 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Houlihan Lokey by 6.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,418,549 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $247,133,000 after acquiring an additional 84,757 shares during the period. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. raised its position in Houlihan Lokey by 3.0% in the second quarter. Burgundy Asset Management Ltd. now owns 1,225,966 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $220,613,000 after acquiring an additional 36,144 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 2,723.2% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,199,459 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $208,934,000 after acquiring an additional 1,156,973 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

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.