Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Has Lowered Expectations for Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock Price

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its price objective cut by equities research analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $218.00 to $214.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ target price suggests a potential upside of 27.16% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday, January 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Houlihan Lokey in a report on Thursday, October 9th. They set a “hold” rating and a $210.00 target price on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $193.00 price objective for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $209.17.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NYSE HLI opened at $168.30 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $11.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.85 and a beta of 0.95. Houlihan Lokey has a 12 month low of $137.99 and a 12 month high of $211.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $179.43 and a 200-day moving average of $188.78.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 24.46%. The business had revenue of $717.07 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $696.72 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.64 EPS. Houlihan Lokey’s revenue was up 13.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.17, for a total transaction of $87,085.00. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings 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 worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC bought a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Houlihan Lokey

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarter beat consensus — Houlihan Lokey reported stronger-than-expected results for the quarter reported Jan. 28 (EPS $1.94 vs. $1.85 est; revenue $717.1M vs. $696.7M; revenue +13% y/y). That beat supports valuation and analyst estimate updates. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate finance momentum and European expansion highlighted by management as drivers of the quarter, indicating growth in fee-based advisory across regions. This reinforces the beat and medium-term revenue upside. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target to $211 with an “outperform” rating, signaling continued analyst conviction and ~25% upside vs. current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.60/share (annualized yield ~1.4%), which supports total-return investors and underscores cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods trimmed its target from $218 to $214 but kept an “outperform” rating — a modest technical revision rather than a negative rerating. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed transcripts and analyst notes (Seeking Alpha, Zacks) provide granular disclosure on segment performance and metrics; useful for modeling but not a discrete catalyst. Article Title Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the beats, the stock is down today — likely profit-taking after recent run-up (12?month high ~$211.78) and some mixed analyst actions. Elevated intraday volume suggests short-term selling pressure.

About Houlihan Lokey

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.