Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Short Interest Down 13.4% in March

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,293,811 shares, a drop of 13.4% from the February 26th total of 1,494,540 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 549,278 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 2.4 days. Approximately 2.4% of the company’s shares are sold short.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

HLI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $243.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $204.57.

Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total transaction of $854,300.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 27,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,781,004.52. This trade represents a 15.16% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 22.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 3rd quarter worth $230,335,000. ING Groep NV acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter valued at about $4,640,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 75.6% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 713,494 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $146,495,000 after purchasing an additional 307,214 shares during the last quarter. Baker Ellis Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter worth about $589,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 9.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 174,695 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $35,868,000 after purchasing an additional 14,483 shares in the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of NYSE:HLI opened at $141.24 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $9.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.70 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a 50 day moving average of $160.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $177.47. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $134.41 and a 52-week high of $211.78.

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

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

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

About Houlihan Lokey

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.