Bank of Montreal Can Raises Stock Position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)

Bank of Montreal Can lifted its stake in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Free Report) by 6.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 25,808 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 1,612 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can's holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $4,482,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth approximately $53,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Finally, Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 24.8% during the 4th quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 584 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $101,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Up 0.7 %

HLI traded up $1.07 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $153.17. 225,079 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 352,896. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $161.93 and its 200 day simple moving average is $171.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.23 and a beta of 0.84. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 1-year low of $122.41 and a 1-year high of $192.10.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.13. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 16.00%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd were given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.49%. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio is presently 43.51%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JMP Securities reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com cut shares of Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $190.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $179.00 to $170.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $192.00 price target (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $183.40.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc, an investment banking company, provides merger and acquisition (M&A), capital market, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Corporate Finance, Financial Restructuring, and Financial and Valuation Advisory.