UBS Group Boosts Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target to $170.00

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its target price upped by UBS Group from $157.00 to $170.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the company. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Tuesday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating and set a $154.00 target price (up from $139.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $131.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $150.25.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of HLI opened at $145.55 on Wednesday. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $94.67 and a 52-week high of $153.08. The business’s fifty day moving average is $137.23 and its 200-day moving average is $130.96. The firm has a market cap of $9.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.41 and a beta of 0.67.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.22. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 18.80% and a net margin of 15.30%. The company had revenue of $514.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.70 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. Houlihan Lokey’s revenue for the quarter was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.67 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.57%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 3rd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is 55.47%.

Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, insider David A. Preiser sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $2,664,200.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, Chairman Irwin Gold sold 9,902 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.25, for a total value of $1,339,245.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider David A. Preiser sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $2,664,200.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 25.97% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 264.5% in the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 194.9% in the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter valued at approximately $74,000. Hedge funds and other 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.