Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target Cut to $184.00 by Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its price target reduced by The Goldman Sachs Group from $210.00 to $184.00 in a report published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on the stock. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $196.00 to $163.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $200.86.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Down 1.9%

HLI opened at $140.96 on Wednesday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $158.85 and a 200-day moving average of $176.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $9.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.65 and a beta of 0.95. Houlihan Lokey has a 1-year low of $134.41 and a 1-year high of $211.78.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share (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%. Houlihan Lokey’s revenue was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owned 27,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. This 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.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in Houlihan Lokey by 14.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 49,584 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,008,000 after acquiring an additional 6,253 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 50.0% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 29,654 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $4,598,000 after purchasing an additional 9,891 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 1st quarter valued at $18,964,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 415,743 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $67,143,000 after purchasing an additional 22,553 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 2nd quarter worth about $220,000. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.