Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Price Target Cut to $177.00 by Analysts at Morgan Stanley

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley lowered Houlihan Lokey’s price target to $177 from $187 while maintaining an “overweight” rating, implying roughly 40.7% upside from the reported $125.77 share price.
• HLI’s quarterly results fell short of expectations: EPS was $1.35 versus $1.64 expected, while revenue of $511 million missed estimates of $602.38 million and declined 15.6% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains moderately positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $176.38, despite shares falling sharply and other firms also reducing targets.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $187.00 to $177.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an "overweight" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Morgan Stanley's price objective would suggest a potential upside of 40.74% from the company's current price.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on HLI. Wolfe Research upgraded Houlihan Lokey from an "underperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 9th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Friday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $148.00 price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Thursday. US Capital Advisors set a $187.00 price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Thursday, July 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $153.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $176.38.

Houlihan Lokey Price Performance

HLI stock traded down $13.31 on Thursday, hitting $125.77. 2,060,691 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 685,877. Houlihan Lokey has a twelve month low of $112.83 and a twelve month high of $211.78. The business's fifty day moving average is $140.38 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.95.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.64 by ($0.29). The company had revenue of $511.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $602.38 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 22.88%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 15.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.14 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Houlihan Lokey will post 7.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $941,378.90. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 6,265 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $941,378.90. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 22.83% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 14.4% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 49,584 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $8,008,000 after buying an additional 6,253 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 50.0% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 29,654 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $4,598,000 after acquiring an additional 9,891 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the first quarter valued at approximately $18,964,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 5.7% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 415,743 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $67,143,000 after acquiring an additional 22,553 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,033,000. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Houlihan Lokey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Houlihan Lokey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods maintained an “outperform” rating on HLI and sees potential upside from current levels, although it lowered its price target to $153 from $160. Benzinga analyst price-target update
• Positive Sentiment: Houlihan Lokey declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70 per share, payable September 15 to shareholders of record as of September 1. The dividend implies an annualized yield of approximately 2.3%, providing ongoing income support for investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s first-quarter fiscal 2027 earnings call and results release provide additional detail on the quarter’s performance and outlook. Houlihan Lokey Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2027 Financial Results Houlihan Lokey Q1 2027 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: HLI reported quarterly EPS of $1.35, well below the $1.64 analyst consensus and down from $2.14 a year earlier. Houlihan Lokey misses first-quarter earnings and revenue estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was $511 million, versus the $602.38 million consensus estimate, and declined 15.6% year over year. The substantial top-line shortfall and earnings deterioration are the primary reasons investors are selling the stock.

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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