Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) Downgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold”

StockNews.com lowered shares of Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a “market perform” rating and issued a $192.00 price target (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $172.00 to $169.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. UBS Group raised their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $229.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. JMP Securities reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $178.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $194.40.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of Houlihan Lokey stock opened at $183.38 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $178.31 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $167.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.00 and a beta of 0.69. Houlihan Lokey has a 12 month low of $121.81 and a 12 month high of $192.10.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.13. Houlihan Lokey had a net margin of 16.00% and a return on equity of 20.04%. Analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Investors of record on Monday, March 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.51%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of HLI. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Wolff Wiese Magana LLC bought a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at $53,000. Finally, VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter valued at $62,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

About Houlihan Lokey

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.