Analysts Set Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Price Target at $192.00

Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $183.40.

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $172.00 to $169.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. StockNews.com downgraded Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. JMP Securities reiterated a "market perform" rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a "market perform" rating and issued a $192.00 price target (up from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $179.00 to $170.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

NYSE HLI traded up $1.16 on Monday, hitting $151.31. 360,287 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 349,475. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $122.14 and a 52-week high of $192.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.88 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $164.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $172.14.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.64 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.13. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 20.04%. Sell-side analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio is currently 43.51%.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLI. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $53,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 320 shares during the period. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.