Analysts Set Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Target Price at $185.00

Shares of Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) have been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the six ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $185.00.

HLI has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $190.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Houlihan Lokey from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In other news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 8,008 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.71, for a total transaction of $1,431,109.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 23.68% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 111.1% during the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 152 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Motco acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the first quarter valued at about $29,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the first quarter valued at about $33,000. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLI traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $174.81. The company had a trading volume of 328,062 shares, compared to its average volume of 351,964. Houlihan Lokey has a one year low of $127.14 and a one year high of $192.10. The firm has a market cap of $12.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.36 and a beta of 0.82. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $163.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $171.50.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.35. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 16.00%. The company had revenue of $666.42 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $628.25 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.27 earnings per share. Houlihan Lokey's revenue was up 28.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 2nd will be given a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 2nd. This is a boost from Houlihan Lokey's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. Houlihan Lokey's payout ratio is currently 41.24%.

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.