Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Sets New 1-Year High - What's Next?

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $192.44 and last traded at $191.95, with a volume of 88763 shares. The stock had previously closed at $189.18.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have commented on HLI shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $170.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, May 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $183.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, June 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $192.00 price objective (up previously from $159.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Monday, June 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $192.20.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

The stock's fifty day moving average is $176.61 and its 200 day moving average is $170.74. The stock has a market cap of $13.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.80 and a beta of 0.83.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.96 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.61 by $0.35. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.73% and a return on equity of 21.61%. The firm had revenue of $666.42 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $628.25 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.27 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 28.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 2nd were issued a $0.60 dividend. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey's previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 2nd. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.26%. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.24%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Irwin Gold sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.81, for a total value of $914,050.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.02, for a total value of $86,510.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 13,508 shares of company stock valued at $2,431,670 in the last ninety days. 23.68% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of HLI. Bogart Wealth LLC raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 80 shares during the period. Motco purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. TCTC Holdings LLC increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 103.5% during the 1st 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 increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 3,714.3% during the 1st 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 hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.