Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock Rating Raised to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Houlihan Lokey from “sell” to “hold.” Despite mixed analyst actions, the broader analyst consensus remains “Moderate Buy,” with an average price target of $160.44.
• Houlihan Lokey reported quarterly EPS of $1.85, exceeding the $1.63 consensus estimate, while revenue of $692 million rose 4.9% year over year and surpassed expectations.
• The stock opened at $138.02, below its 200-day moving average of $144.93 and well under its 52-week high of $202.49. Institutional investors own approximately 78.07% of the company.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) was upgraded by analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday, Wall Street Zen reports.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on HLI. US Capital Advisors set a $187.00 target price on Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Wolfe Research raised Houlihan Lokey from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 9th. Citigroup upgraded Houlihan Lokey to an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Citizens Jmp raised Houlihan Lokey from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $175.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $160.44.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:HLI opened at $138.02 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $9.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 1.00. The stock's 50-day moving average is $131.21 and its 200-day moving average is $144.93. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $112.83 and a 52-week high of $202.49.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, October 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.85 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.22. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 19.94% and a net margin of 15.78%. The business had revenue of $692.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $625.88 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.84 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 6.95 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 1,000 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 22.53% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC raised its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.3% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Parlapiano Turner & Welch LLC now owns 56,311 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,114,000 after buying an additional 2,827 shares in the last quarter. Provenance Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Walled Lake Planning & Wealth Management LLC now owns 29,111 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $3,678,000 after buying an additional 241 shares during the period. Choreo LLC lifted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 1,782 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $225,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Signaturefd LLC boosted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 151.2% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,356 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $298,000 after buying an additional 1,418 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% of the company's stock.

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.

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