UBS Group Has Lowered Expectations for Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Stock Price

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) had its target price dropped by investment analysts at UBS Group from $196.00 to $163.00 in a research report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the financial services provider’s stock. UBS Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 16.84% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on HLI. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $218.00 to $214.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Houlihan Lokey from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Monday. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 29th. Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $216.00 to $215.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $243.00 to $210.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $204.57.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Down 4.7%

Shares of NYSE:HLI traded down $6.86 during trading on Thursday, hitting $139.51. 630,020 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 561,013. The company has a market cap of $9.74 billion, a PE ratio of 21.43 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 company has a fifty day moving average price of $172.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $182.97.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.94 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.09. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 24.46% and a net margin of 16.91%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.64 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on 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 legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert A. Schriesheim sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.86, for a total transaction of $854,300.00. Following the sale, the director owned 27,982 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,781,004.52. The trade was a 15.16% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 22.83% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Westside Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 64.4% during the third quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 148 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Core Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.07% of the company’s 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.