Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Cuts Stock Position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,912 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 75 shares during the quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Houlihan Lokey were worth $258,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of HLI. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 2nd quarter worth $26,000. Crewe Advisors LLC grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 264.5% during the 2nd quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 226 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $42,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. grew its stake in Houlihan Lokey by 194.9% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 401 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the 1st quarter worth $74,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently commented on HLI shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $157.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $132.00 to $129.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $131.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 23rd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $154.00 price objective (up from $139.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report on Wednesday, July 31st. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $150.25.

Insider Activity at Houlihan Lokey

In related news, insider David A. Preiser sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $2,664,200.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, Chairman Scott L. Beiser sold 8,317 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.89, for a total transaction of $1,263,269.13. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider David A. Preiser sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.21, for a total value of $2,664,200.00. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 38,419 shares of company stock valued at $5,297,213 in the last three months. 25.97% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

NYSE:HLI opened at $156.62 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $144.89 and a 200-day simple moving average of $134.91. The stock has a market cap of $10.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.11 and a beta of 0.67. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a 1 year low of $94.67 and a 1 year high of $157.58.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.22. The firm had revenue of $514.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $508.70 million. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 18.80% and a net margin of 15.30%. The business’s revenue was up 23.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.67 EPS for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, September 15th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 3rd will be given a $0.57 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 3rd. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.46%. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 55.47%.

Houlihan Lokey 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.