Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of July. As of July 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,100,000 shares, an increase of 11.8% from the June 30th total of 983,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 330,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.3 days.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

NYSE HLI traded down $2.22 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $147.77. 359,152 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 335,370. The business’s 50 day moving average is $136.21 and its 200-day moving average is $130.15. Houlihan Lokey has a 12-month low of $94.67 and a 12-month high of $150.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.95 and a beta of 0.67.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.27 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.20 by $0.07. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 14.64% and a return on equity of 18.08%. The company had revenue of $520.46 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $508.99 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.11 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Saturday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 3rd were paid a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 3rd. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.54%. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 55.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Chairman Irwin Gold sold 9,902 shares of Houlihan Lokey stock in a transaction on Friday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.25, for a total transaction of $1,339,245.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Irwin Gold sold 9,902 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.25, for a total value of $1,339,245.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider David A. Preiser sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total transaction of $2,664,200.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 25.97% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Houlihan Lokey

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HLI. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 264.5% during the second quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth approximately $42,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 194.9% in the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 1st quarter valued at $74,000. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JMP Securities restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Tuesday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $131.00 to $148.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $132.00 to $139.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $145.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $148.00.

Houlihan Lokey Company Profile

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.