Wall Street Zen Upgrades Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) to “Hold”

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

Several other equities analysts have also issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $153.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Wolfe Research upgraded Houlihan Lokey from an “underperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $147.00 to $153.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $160.44.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Up 0.0%

NYSE HLI opened at $138.02 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey has a 1 year low of $112.83 and a 1 year high of $202.49. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $131.21 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $144.93. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.90.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.22. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 15.78% and a return on equity of 19.94%. The business had revenue of $692.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $625.88 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.84 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 7.18 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total value of $140,150.00. Following the sale, the general counsel directly owned 1,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $140,150. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 22.53% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 400.0% during the third quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 210 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 103.4% in the first quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 236 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the second quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc increased its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 91.0% during the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 510 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $68,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment banking and financial advisory firm that provides services to corporations, institutions, financial sponsors and governments. The company advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, capital raising, financial restructuring and other strategic and corporate finance matters.

Its business also includes valuation and financial opinions, including fairness opinions, solvency opinions and other transaction-related analyses. Houlihan Lokey serves clients across a range of industries, with particular expertise in areas such as technology, media and telecommunications; financial services; healthcare; industrials; consumer products and services; and energy and natural resources.

Founded in 1972 by Roger Houlihan and O.