$HLI

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) reports Q3: everything you need to know ahead of earnings

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) will report Q3 earnings, with analysts expecting a 3.7% revenue decline year on year. Last quarter, the company missed revenue, EBITDA, and EPS estimates. Peers Goldman Sachs and Jefferies reported revenue growth, but their shares fell. HLI's average price target is $155.44, with shares up 1.3% in the last month.

Original reporting
Published Oct 27, 2026, 3:22 AM UTC
Analysis
AlphAI AI DeskAI-generated
Added to AlphAI Oct 27, 2026, 4:04 AM UTC. Informational, not investment advice.
How this was made
AlphAI summarizes source reporting and applies a structured AI analysis for relevance, timing, sentiment and ticker impact. Always verify material claims with the original publisher.
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) reports Q3: everything you need to know ahead of earnings — source image
Decision brief

The 30-second read

$HLIBearishLow
01

Why it matters

The revenue decline and miss may trigger short‑term selling pressure, but the stock's recent modest gain and analyst price target of $155.44 suggest some upside potential if guidance improves.

02

Market read

The news is relevant for traders focused on financial services stocks, especially those monitoring mid‑cap banks ahead of earnings season.

03

What to watch

Potential upcoming deal flow or cost reductions were not discussed and could mitigate the revenue decline.

Relevance 5/10Novelty 5/10Timing: pre‑market today

Background

Houlihan Lokey is a mid‑cap investment bank that reports quarterly results. The article previews its upcoming earnings release and notes a revenue miss.

Company-level read

Ticker impact

$HLIBearishMedium confidence
Context

Houlihan Lokey reported Q3 revenue of $511M, a 15.6% YoY decline, missing analyst expectations.

Expected impact

likely pressure as investors price in weaker revenue and potential earnings miss

Evidence & confidence

Revenue fell sharply and missed forecasts; analysts have reconfirmed estimates, indicating limited upside.

Market effects

Peers in investment banking (Goldman Sachs, Jefferies) posted strong results, highlighting relative weakness for Houlihan Lokey.

U.S. financial services sector may see modest rotation toward larger banks with better Q3 performance.

Limited; the news is specific to a mid‑cap U.S. investment bank.

Counterpoint

Despite the miss, the stock is up 1.3% and may be undervalued if the company can rebound in Q4.

Key entities

  • Houlihan Lokey

    U.S. investment banking firm (ticker HLI).

  • Goldman Sachs

    Peer investment bank that posted strong Q3 results.

  • Jefferies

    Peer investment bank that posted strong Q3 results.

Related articles

$HLIMed

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) Stock Is Up, What You Need To Know

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) shares rose 4.1% after Citizens upgraded the stock to Outperform with a $175 target, citing strong backlog and new business records. The firm's shares cooled to $130.07, up 3.6%. HLI is down 26.2% YTD, trading 35.7% below its 52-week high. Citizens noted improving outlook in financial restructuring and advisory services.

$PIPRMedAI 8/10

A Look Back at Investment Banking & Brokerage Stocks’ Q2 Earnings: Piper Sandler (NYSE:PIPR) Vs The Rest Of The Pack

Investment banking & brokerage stocks reported Q2 earnings, with Piper Sandler (PIPR) revenues up 21.2% YoY, beating estimates. Perella Weinberg (PWP) revenues flat but beat estimates, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) revenues down 15.6% YoY, missing estimates. LPL Financial (LPLA) revenues up 35.2% YoY, beating estimates. Stifel (SF) revenues up 13.2% YoY, beating estimates. Sector revenues beat consensus by 4.5%, with guidance 1.1% below.

$PJTMed

Investment Banking & Brokerage Stocks Q2 In Review: PJT (NYSE:PJT) Vs Peers

Perella Weinberg (PJT) reported flat revenue of $156.5M, beating EPS estimates, with stock up 7.1%. Houlihan Lokey (HLI) saw revenue drop 15.6% to $511M, missing estimates, with stock down 8%. Goldman Sachs (GS) reported $20.34B revenue, up 39.5%, beating estimates, but stock down 4%. Moelis (MC) reported $409.4M revenue, up 12%, beating estimates, with stock up 2.5%.

$HLIMed

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) Q1 2027 Earnings Call Transcript

Houlihan Lokey (HLI) reported Q1 fiscal 2027 revenues of $511 million and adjusted EPS of $1.35. Financial and Valuation Advisory revenues rose 13% to $89 million, while Corporate Finance revenues fell 24% to $303 million and Financial Restructuring revenues were $119 million. Management cited delayed corporate finance deal timelines amid macro headwinds and expects FY adjusted tax rate of 26% to 28%.