Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) Short Interest Up 18.3% in January

Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI - Get Free Report) saw a significant growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 819,900 shares, a growth 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 presently 2.5 days.

Houlihan Lokey Trading Up 1.8 %

NYSE HLI traded up $3.21 on Wednesday, hitting $183.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 170,809 shares, compared to its average volume of 419,210. Houlihan Lokey has a 52-week low of $121.81 and a 52-week high of $192.10. The firm has a market cap of $12.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.00 and a beta of 0.69. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $178.39 and its 200 day simple moving average is $167.81.

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 20.04%. On average, research analysts forecast that Houlihan Lokey will post 5.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 3rd will be paid a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 3rd. Houlihan Lokey's payout ratio is presently 43.51%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Houlihan Lokey

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Strategic Wealth Investment Group LLC increased its position in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 0.8% during the third 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 raised its stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey by 5.0% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 1,617 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $281,000 after purchasing an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings 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 valued at $282,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position 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 valued at $135,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its holdings 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 worth $2,724,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. 78.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Houlihan Lokey from $178.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a "market perform" rating and set a $192.00 price objective (up from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research report 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 for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a "market perform" rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Houlihan Lokey from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $194.40.

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.