Fenimore Asset Management Inc Purchases 17,199 Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI

Key Points

• Fenimore Asset Management increased its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 16.2%, buying 17,199 shares to hold 123,672 shares valued at about $21.54 million (roughly 0.18% of the company) at quarter-end.
• EPS beat: Houlihan Lokey reported $1.94 EPS versus $1.85 expected, with revenue up 13% year-over-year, a net margin of 16.9% and ROE of 24.5%.
• Analysts have a consensus rating of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $197.71 amid mixed target revisions, while insiders have trimmed holdings (notable sales) and institutional ownership is about 78.1%.

Fenimore Asset Management Inc increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 123,672 shares of the financial services provider's stock after buying an additional 17,199 shares during the period. Fenimore Asset Management Inc owned 0.18% of Houlihan Lokey worth $21,542,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Benjamin Edwards Inc. raised its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 2,219 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $386,000 after buying an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 16,120 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,808,000 after buying an additional 543 shares during the last quarter. Keybank National Association OH raised its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 138.0% during the fourth quarter. Keybank National Association OH now owns 8,505 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,481,000 after buying an additional 4,932 shares during the last quarter. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corp bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $286,000. Institutional investors own 78.07% of the company's stock.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Down 0.9%

HLI opened at $153.28 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $10.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.55, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.99. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a twelve month low of $134.41 and a twelve month high of $211.78. The company's 50-day moving average price is $151.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $169.87.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.64 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HLI has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $205.00 to $193.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased 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 report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group cut their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $196.00 to $163.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $197.71.

Insider Transactions at Houlihan Lokey

In other Houlihan Lokey news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total value of $71,700.00. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 500 shares in the company, valued at $71,700. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total transaction of $854,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 27,982 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. The trade was a 15.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 22.83% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.

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