Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. Acquires Shares of 1,176 Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI)

Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 1,176 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $204,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of HLI. Private Trust Co. NA bought a new stake in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Houlihan Lokey during the 4th quarter worth $33,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Houlihan Lokey in the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. VisionPoint Advisory Group LLC bought a new position in Houlihan Lokey during the fourth quarter valued at about $62,000. Finally, First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Houlihan Lokey by 81.5% during the third quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 198 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.07% of the company’s stock.

Houlihan Lokey Stock Performance

Houlihan Lokey stock opened at $159.02 on Friday. Houlihan Lokey, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $121.81 and a fifty-two week high of $192.10. The stock has a market cap of $11.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.35 and a beta of 0.72. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $174.29 and its 200-day moving average price is $171.77.

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 28th. The financial services provider reported $1.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.51 by $0.13. Houlihan Lokey had a return on equity of 20.04% and a net margin of 16.00%. Sell-side analysts predict that Houlihan Lokey, Inc. will post 5.98 earnings per share for the current year.

Houlihan Lokey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Saturday, March 15th. Investors 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 yield of 1.43%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 3rd. Houlihan Lokey’s dividend payout ratio is currently 43.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Houlihan Lokey from an “underweight” rating to an “overweight” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $201.00 to $190.00 in a research note on Thursday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $192.00 target price (up previously from $170.00) on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Houlihan Lokey in a report on Wednesday, January 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Houlihan Lokey from $172.00 to $169.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Finally, UBS Group raised their target price on Houlihan Lokey from $229.00 to $230.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Houlihan Lokey presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $192.00.

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.