Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Invests in Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC has taken a new position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Free Report) during the fourth quarter. According to their most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the institutional investor acquired 4,185 shares of the financial services firm's stock, amounting to an investment valued at approximately $727,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in HLI. For instance, State Street Corp increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 1.3% in the third quarter, now owning 1,615,467 shares worth about $255.3 million after adding 21,106 shares during that period. Similarly, Geode Capital Management LLC grew their holdings by 2.8%, bringing their total to 970,559 shares valued at $153.4 million after acquiring 26,564 additional shares. Eagle Asset Management Inc. made a more significant move, boosting their stake by 23.6% to reach 693,109 shares, now valued at $109.5 million after buying 132,516 additional shares. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.'s position increased by a notable 33.0%, now holding 601,025 shares worth approximately $95 million, following the purchase of 149,114 extra shares. Bank of New York Mellon Corp also raised its stake by 1.0% in the fourth quarter, now owning 486,964 shares valued at $84.6 million after a purchase of 4,896 shares. Overall, approximately 78.07% of Houlihan Lokey's stock is held by institutional investors.

Recent Analyst Ratings

Equities analysts have shared updates regarding Houlihan Lokey's stock performance. Morgan Stanley raised its target price from $200.00 to $201.00 while maintaining an 'underweight' rating. On the same day, JMP Securities reaffirmed a 'market perform' rating for the shares. UBS Group also adjusted their outlook, increasing their target price from $229.00 to $230.00, while assigning a 'buy' rating. Conversely, StockNews.com downgraded their recommendation from 'buy' to 'hold'. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company revised their price target, increasing it from $178.00 to $180.00, retaining an 'underweight' rating. Currently, two analysts have rated the stock as a sell, four have assigned a hold rating, and one analyst has given a buy rating, resulting in an average rating of 'Hold' and an average target price of $194.40 according to MarketBeat.

Current Stock Performance

As of the last trading day, Houlihan Lokey's stock (NYSE:HLI) opened at $173.42. The company has a fifty-day moving average of $177.03 and a 200-day moving average of $171.64. With a market capitalization of $12.16 billion, the firm has a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.10 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has experienced a 52-week low of $121.81 and a high of $192.10.

On January 28th, Houlihan Lokey announced their quarterly earnings, reporting earnings of $1.64 per share, exceeding analysts' consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.13. The company achieved a return on equity of 20.04% with a net margin of 16.00%. Analysts anticipate that Houlihan Lokey will report an earnings per share (EPS) of 5.98 for the current fiscal year.

Dividend Announcement

Houlihan Lokey also declared a quarterly dividend, scheduled for payment on March 15th. Shareholders recorded on March 3rd will receive a dividend of $0.57, translating to an annualized dividend of $2.28 and a yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date for this payout is set for March 3rd, with a payout ratio of 43.51%.

Overview of Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. is a global investment banking firm that specializes in providing merger and acquisition (M&A) advisory, capital markets, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory services. The company operates through three primary segments: Corporate Finance, Financial Restructuring, and Financial and Valuation Advisory.

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