Scott Beiser Sells 6,265 Shares of Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock

Key Points

• Chairman Scott Beiser sold 6,265 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock on May 21 at an average price of $150.26, totaling about $941,379. The sale cut his direct holdings by 50%.
• Houlihan Lokey shares rose to $151.30 in Thursday trading, near the stock’s 50-day average of $148.78 but below its 200-day average of $165.84. The company’s market value is about $10.56 billion.
• Recent earnings missed expectations, with quarterly EPS of $1.63 versus the $1.79 forecast and revenue of $635.64 million below estimates. The company also raised its quarterly dividend to $0.70 per share, up from $0.60.

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) Chairman Scott Beiser sold 6,265 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total transaction of $941,378.90. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 6,265 shares of the company's stock, valued at $941,378.90. This trade represents a 50.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HLI traded up $1.64 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $151.30. The company had a trading volume of 804,846 shares, compared to its average volume of 631,023. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a twelve month low of $134.41 and a twelve month high of $211.78. The stock's 50 day moving average is $148.78 and its 200-day moving average is $165.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.56 billion, a PE ratio of 24.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.99.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.79 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $635.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $679.22 million. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.26% and a return on equity of 22.88%. Houlihan Lokey's revenue for the quarter was down 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.96 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 8.54 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey's previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Houlihan Lokey's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have commented on HLI shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $177.00 to $172.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $205.00 to $193.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research lowered Houlihan Lokey from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, UBS Group set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $191.29.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HLI. Resources Management Corp CT ADV lifted its holdings 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 buying an additional 55 shares in the last quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% in the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank increased its position 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 lifted its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 5,267 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $917,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the period. Finally, Xponance Inc. lifted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 8,026 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,648,000 after purchasing an additional 68 shares during the period. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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