Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Takes Position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired **7,234 shares** of Houlihan Lokey, Inc., valued at approximately **$1,168,000**, during the first quarter.
• Wall Street analysts have varied opinions on Houlihan Lokey, with some firms raising their target prices significantly and others downgrading their ratings, leading to an average rating of **"Moderate Buy"** and a consensus price target of **$206.40**.
• The company recently announced a **quarterly dividend** of **$0.60**, reflecting an annualized payout of **$2.40**, with a yield of **1.3%** and a payout ratio of **40.40%**.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,234 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $1,168,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC grew 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 acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the first quarter worth $54,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 744.2% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 363 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $59,000 after purchasing an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 17.5% during the first quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 550 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $89,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $105,000. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on HLI shares. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating and set a $192.00 price target (up from $159.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Monday, June 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Houlihan Lokey from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating and increased their target price for the company from $185.00 to $232.00 in a report on Monday, July 14th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $185.00 to $209.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 11th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $206.40.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Down 0.0%

Shares of Houlihan Lokey stock traded down $0.09 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $192.30. 130,766 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 405,372. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $137.99 and a fifty-two week high of $198.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.37 and a beta of 0.86. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $183.74 and a 200 day moving average price of $173.26.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $2.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.45. The firm 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 period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.22 EPS. Analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 15th. Shareholders 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 yield of 1.2%. Houlihan Lokey's payout ratio is currently 40.40%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Irwin Gold sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.81, for a total value of $914,050.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 8,008 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $178.71, for a total transaction of $1,431,109.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,508 shares of company stock worth $2,431,670 in the last quarter. 22.83% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile

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.