Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda Cuts Stake in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI

Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda cut its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) by 33.8% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 25,816 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 13,158 shares during the period. Wealth High Governance Capital Ltda’s holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $3,708,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Core Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 103.4% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 236 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $941,378.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 6,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $941,378.90. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 22.53% of the company’s stock.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLI opened at $125.21 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $139.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $151.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.65 billion, a PE ratio of 21.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.95. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $112.83 and a fifty-two week high of $211.78.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.29). The business had revenue of $511.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $602.38 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.10% and a return on equity of 20.20%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.14 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 7.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a dividend of $0.70 per share. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 1st. Houlihan Lokey’s payout ratio is currently 47.06%.

Houlihan Lokey News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Houlihan Lokey declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share, payable September 15 to shareholders of record September 1. The dividend implies an annualized yield of approximately 2.2%, providing shareholder income.
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained an “overweight” rating despite lowering its price target to $177 from $187, while Keefe, Bruyette & Woods retained an “outperform” rating and reduced its target to $153 from $160. Both targets remain substantially above the recent trading level, suggesting analysts expect a recovery.
• Neutral Sentiment: UBS lowered its price target to $147 from $161 and maintained a “neutral” rating. The revised target still indicates upside, but the cut reflects more cautious expectations for the company’s valuation or near-term performance. Houlihan Lokey Given New $147 Price Target at UBS Group
• Negative Sentiment: Fiscal Q1 earnings were well below expectations: adjusted EPS was $1.35 versus the $1.64 consensus, and revenue was $511 million versus $602.38 million expected. EPS also fell from $2.14 a year earlier, while revenue declined 15.6% year over year. The sizable earnings and revenue misses are the primary catalyst weighing on HLI. Houlihan Lokey Misses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on HLI shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Friday, July 17th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $187.00 to $177.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Bank of America started coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Friday, July 10th. They set a “buy” rating and a $164.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Wolfe Research raised shares of Houlihan Lokey from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.62.

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.