Christopher Crain Sells 1,000 Shares of Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: General Counsel Christopher Crain sold 1,000 Houlihan Lokey shares for approximately $140,150, reducing his ownership by 50% to 1,000 shares.
• Weak quarterly results: The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.35, below the $1.64 consensus estimate, while revenue of $511 million fell short of the $602.38 million estimate and declined 15.6% year over year.
• Dividend and analyst outlook: Houlihan Lokey declared a quarterly dividend of $0.70, implying a 2.1% yield. Analysts maintain a consensus “Hold” rating with an average price target of $166.38, despite several firms retaining Buy or Outperform ratings.

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) General Counsel Christopher Crain sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.15, for a total value of $140,150.00. Following the completion of the sale, the general counsel owned 1,000 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $140,150. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLI traded up $1.17 during trading on Thursday, reaching $136.44. The company had a trading volume of 1,321,840 shares, compared to its average volume of 714,848. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 52 week low of $112.83 and a 52 week high of $211.78. The business's 50 day moving average price is $133.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.91. The stock has a market cap of $9.42 billion, a PE ratio of 22.93, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.96.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.29). The company had revenue of $511.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $602.38 million. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 20.20% and a net margin of 16.10%.The business's revenue for the quarter was down 15.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.14 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 6.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be paid a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 47.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

HLI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Friday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, August 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $171.00 to $148.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $160.00 to $153.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $187.00 to $177.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 30th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $166.38.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Resources Management Corp CT ADV increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.9% during the second quarter. Resources Management Corp CT ADV now owns 5,845 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,052,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,156 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $201,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,267 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $917,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 956 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $196,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Finally, IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 4.4% in the fourth quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 1,694 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $295,000 after purchasing an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile

Houlihan Lokey, Inc is a global investment bank that provides financial advisory services to corporations, financial sponsors, governments and other institutions. Its principal activities include mergers and acquisitions, capital markets advisory, financial restructuring, and valuation and financial opinions.

The company advises clients on acquisitions, divestitures, strategic alternatives, recapitalizations, fairness opinions and other complex financial matters. Its restructuring business supports companies, creditors and other stakeholders dealing with distressed situations, while its valuation and financial advisory practice provides analyses related to financial reporting, tax, litigation and strategic planning.

Founded in 1972, Houlihan Lokey has expanded from its origins in the United States into an international advisory firm serving clients across North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and other global markets.

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