On Friday, Seaport Global Securities maintained a Neutral rating on Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI), with an analyst citing an increase in FY2025E/FY2026E EPS to $5.75/$6.60 from $5.50/$6.40. The firm's second quarter fiscal year 2025 adjusted EPS of $1.46 outperformed their estimate of $1.28 and the consensus of $1.31. The performance was attributed to revenue growth across all businesses, especially in corporate finance.
The analyst noted that Houlihan Lokey's management is observing favorable momentum within its mergers and acquisitions (M&A), capital markets advisory, and financial valuation and advisory (FVA) businesses. For M&A, the environment is reported to have shown continuous improvement monthly, with strong new business generation.
Despite a lack of visibility in the fee pipeline data for Houlihan Lokey, as smaller private deals are often not tracked, the current pipeline is the highest it has been since 2022, showing an increase of over 50% year-over-year.
In the restructuring space, the analyst expressed skepticism about the potential for continued growth from record levels over the intermediate term. However, Houlihan Lokey indicated robust new business activity in the third quarter.
The company is also expected to compensate for any potential slowdown in restructuring through growth in refinancing activities, particularly in its debt advisory business. Houlihan Lokey's position to capitalize on the expansion of private credit was highlighted, given its strong financial sponsor coverage and focus on the middle market.
Furthermore, Houlihan Lokey has been active in acquisitions, with three bolt-on acquisitions announced over the last twelve months, two of which have closed. Management described the pipeline for new deals as "robust," suggesting potential revenue and EPS growth in the next one to two years.
The firm is considered a unique long-term growth story, with expectations to expand market share in the middle market through organic growth and acquisitions.
Despite the positive outlook, the analyst pointed to the anticipated limited growth in restructuring revenue beyond 2025 as a significant headwind, considering it accounted for 27% of last year's revenue. Additionally, with the stock trading at 26 times FY2026E EPS, compared to a long-term average of 16 to 17 times, the analyst concluded that there is more value and upside potential to be found elsewhere in the sector.
In other recent news, investment bank Houlihan Lokey reported significant increases in revenue and adjusted earnings per share in its recent Q2 earnings call for fiscal year 2025. The firm's revenues rose to $575 million, marking a 23% year-over-year increase, while adjusted earnings per share grew by 32% to $1.46.
This robust performance was attributed to a favorable M&A environment, new business activity in financial restructuring, and increased demand for market-neutral services.
Houlihan Lokey also discussed its strategic acquisitions of Prytania Solutions and Waller Helms, which are expected to enhance the company's valuation and financial services offerings.
Despite macroeconomic challenges, the firm remains optimistic about the second half of fiscal 2025 and anticipates ongoing strength in restructuring activities. The company expects the capital markets business to contribute 15% to 20% of Corporate Finance revenues and maintains a robust M&A pipeline despite recent acquisitions.
The firm's executives, Scott Adelson and Lindsey Alley addressed the impact of interest rate changes on restructuring opportunities, suggesting a continued presence of distressed balance sheets. They also highlighted significant refinancing activity and the strength of private capital solutions.
These recent developments suggest that Houlihan Lokey is well-positioned for continued growth in the coming quarters.
InvestingPro Insights
Houlihan Lokey's strong performance and positive outlook are reflected in recent InvestingPro data and tips. The company's market cap stands at $12.01 billion, with a P/E ratio of 33.68, indicating investor confidence in its growth potential. This aligns with the analyst's observations about the company's robust pipeline and expansion in various business segments.
InvestingPro Tips highlight that Houlihan Lokey has raised its dividend for 10 consecutive years, demonstrating financial stability and commitment to shareholder returns. This is particularly noteworthy given the company's strong revenue growth of 18.83% in the last twelve months, reaching $2.12 billion.
The company's profitability is underscored by its impressive gross profit margin of 93.71% and operating income margin of 20.22%. These figures support the analyst's view of Houlihan Lokey as a unique long-term growth story in the sector.
Investors should note that HLI is trading near its 52-week high, with a remarkable 72.38% price total return over the past year. This performance aligns with the company's strong financial results and positive business momentum mentioned in the article.
For those seeking more comprehensive insights, InvestingPro offers 13 additional tips for Houlihan Lokey, providing a deeper understanding of the company's financial health and market position.
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