Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI Stake Increased by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC has significantly increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. by 69.5% in the first quarter, now owning 4,027 shares worth approximately $650,000.
• Houlihan Lokey recently reported earnings of $2.14 per share, exceeding analyst expectations, along with a 17.8% year-over-year revenue increase to $605.35 million.
• The company has announced a quarterly dividend of $0.60 per share, representing a 1.2% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 40.40%.

AlphaQuest LLC boosted its position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Free Report) by 69.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,027 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 1,651 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC's holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $650,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLI. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 111.1% in the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 152 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Motco acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. TCTC Holdings LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 103.5% in the first quarter. TCTC Holdings LLC now owns 232 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 3,714.3% in the first quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 267 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $43,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares during the period. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

HLI has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $185.00 to $209.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded Houlihan Lokey from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $185.00 to $232.00 in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $192.00 price objective (up previously from $159.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Monday, June 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 2nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.40.

Insider Activity

In other news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.02, for a total value of $86,510.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Paul Eric Siegert sold 40,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $199.95, for a total value of $7,998,000.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 45,500 shares of company stock worth $8,998,560 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 22.83% of the company's stock.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HLI traded down $1.34 on Friday, reaching $199.40. 585,482 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 362,810. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $137.99 and a fifty-two week high of $201.63. The company's 50 day moving average is $191.01 and its 200-day moving average is $174.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $14.02 billion, a PE ratio of 33.57 and a beta of 0.86.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.69 by $0.45. The company had revenue of $605.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $573.07 million. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 23.75% and a net margin of 16.46%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.22 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 2nd will be issued a $0.60 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 2nd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio is presently 40.40%.

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.