Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $HLI Shares Bought by Eventide Asset Management LLC

Eventide Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) by 6.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 234,404 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after purchasing an additional 14,356 shares during the period. Eventide Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $40,878,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 65,889 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $11,477,000 after purchasing an additional 286 shares in the last quarter. FORA Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,089,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 1,288.7% in the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 30,731 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,353,000 after purchasing an additional 28,518 shares in the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $737,000. Finally, Inspire Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth approximately $540,000. 78.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Up 1.6%

HLI opened at $137.84 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 12-month low of $133.83 and a 12-month high of $211.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.52 billion, a PE ratio of 22.16, a P/E/G ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.95. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $149.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of $161.72.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.79 by ($0.16). Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 22.88% and a net margin of 16.26%.The business had revenue of $635.64 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $679.22 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.96 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 8.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.70 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is an increase from Houlihan Lokey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.60. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 6,265 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.26, for a total value of $941,378.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 6,265 shares in the company, valued at $941,378.90. The trade was a 50.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Christopher M. Crain sold 500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $143.40, for a total transaction of $71,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $71,700. This represents a 50.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 22.83% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $205.00 to $193.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group set a $160.00 price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Houlihan Lokey from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $177.00 to $172.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $191.29.

Houlihan Lokey 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.