By otakuyassine3@gmail.com 
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI – Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 819,900 shares, an increase of 18.3% from the December 31st total of 692,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 325,400 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 2.5 days.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HLI. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC lifted its position in Houlihan Lokey by 0.8% in the 3rd quarter. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC now owns 8,103 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,293,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,617 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $281,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 6.2% during the fourth quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 1,625 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $282,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 12.6% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 857 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $135,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System raised its position in Houlihan Lokey by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 17,238 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,724,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Houlihan Lokey Price Performance
Shares of Houlihan Lokey stock traded up $1.76 during trading on Friday, hitting $181.92. 460,160 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 395,666. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.72 and a beta of 0.69. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $178.78 and its 200 day moving average price is $167.31. Houlihan Lokey has a 1-year low of $119.28 and a 1-year high of $192.10.
Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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 20.59%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.84 earnings per share for the current year.
Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.57 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.25%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 43.51%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of brokerages have weighed in on HLI. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $229.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on Houlihan Lokey from $200.00 to $201.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $192.00 price target (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $178.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Houlihan Lokey has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $194.40.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on HLI
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.
See Also
Receive News & Ratings for Houlihan Lokey Daily – Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts’ ratings for Houlihan Lokey and related companies with MarketBeat.com’s FREE daily email newsletter.