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Core Insights - Three stocks with strong momentum and buy rankings are highlighted for investors: Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp, LendingClub, and Houlihan Lokey [1][2][3]. Company Summaries Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corp (ZWS) - The company supplies advanced water system solutions and has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) [1]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 9.9% over the last 60 days [1]. - Shares gained 29.7% over the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 10.3% [2]. - The company possesses a Momentum Score of A [2]. LendingClub (LC) - LendingClub operates an online marketplace for loan approval, pricing, servicing, and support operations, connecting borrowers and investors [2]. - It has a Zacks Rank of 1 and the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 58.5% over the last 60 days [2]. - Shares gained 51.3% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 10.3% [3]. - The company also possesses a Momentum Score of A [3]. Houlihan Lokey (HLI) - Houlihan Lokey is a national banking association chartered under U.S. laws and has a Zacks Rank of 1 [3]. - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings increased by 6.5% over the last 60 days [3]. - Shares gained 15.9% over the last three months, again outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 10.3% [4]. - The company holds a Momentum Score of A [4].

Group 1: Company Highlights - Celestica (CLS) is one of the largest electronics manufacturing services companies globally, serving various industries, with a 9.9% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - SB Financial Group (SBFG) is a financial services holding company providing a full range of services for consumers and small businesses, also experiencing a 9.9% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - HomeTrust Bancshares (HTB) focuses on attracting deposits and investing in loans secured by mortgages, with a 7.9% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [3] - Houlihan Lokey (HLI) is a global investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, with a 6.5% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [4] - Udemy (UDMY) offers online courses across various subjects, with a 4.7% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [5]

Houlihan Lokey Reports First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Financial Results – First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Revenues of $605 million – – First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Diluted EPS of $1.42 – – Adjusted First Quarter Fiscal 2026 Diluted EPS of $2.14 – – Announces Dividend of $0.60 per Share for Second Quarter Fiscal 2026 – LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - July 29, 2025 - Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) ("Houlihan Lokey" or the "Company") today reported financial results for its first quarter ended June 30, 2025. For the first quart ...

分组1 - Houlihan Lokey reported quarterly earnings of $2.14 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.69 per share, and showing an increase from $1.22 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +26.63% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $605.35 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.85%, and up from $513.61 million year-over-year [2] - Houlihan Lokey has consistently outperformed consensus EPS and revenue estimates over the last four quarters [2] 分组2 - The stock has gained approximately 11.1% since the beginning of the year, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 8.6% [3] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $1.63 on revenues of $627.67 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $7.19 on revenues of $2.66 billion [7] - The Zacks Industry Rank for Financial - Miscellaneous Services is in the bottom 42% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges for stock performance [8]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenues of $605 million for the first quarter, an 18% increase compared to the same quarter last year, and adjusted earnings per share of $2.14, up 75% year-over-year [6][11][20] - Adjusted compensation expenses were $372 million, up from $316 million in the same period last year, maintaining an adjusted compensation expense ratio of 61.5% [14][15][20] - The adjusted effective tax rate for the quarter was negative 0.8%, a significant decrease from 31.2% in the same quarter last year [19][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Corporate Finance generated $399 million in revenue, a 21% increase year-over-year, with 125 transactions closed, up from 116 [7][12] - Financial Restructuring revenues were $128 million, a 9% increase, with 35 transactions closed compared to 33 in the same quarter last year [8][13] - Financial and Valuation Advisory produced $79 million in revenues, a 16% increase, with 957 fee events, up from 847 [9][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. market continues to outpace EMEA in terms of revenue and activity levels, with expectations that this trend will persist [12][30] - The company noted that while the financial sponsor community's activity has been muted, there is optimism for a return to historic levels as market conditions improve [7][54] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maintaining a diversified business model across industries and geographies, which has shown resilience in the current macro environment [6][11] - The company hosted the inaugural Houlihan Lokey ONE conference, which attracted over 4,000 attendees, showcasing its global reach and commitment to client engagement [10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism regarding the business environment, acknowledging ongoing volatility but noting improvements in client resilience [11][61] - The outlook for fiscal year 2026 remains positive, with expectations for continued growth across all business lines despite potential headwinds from tariffs and inflation [8][11] Other Important Information - The company ended the quarter with approximately $867 million in unrestricted cash and investment securities, reflecting a decline due to bonus payments made in May [20][21] - The hiring environment remains strong, with three new managing directors added in the first quarter, indicating a commitment to expanding talent across the organization [10][80] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Corporate Finance market improvement - Management noted that while there has been improvement quarter by quarter, the market remains uncertain, and they are seeing resilience in client adjustments to current conditions [26][27] Question: Backlog trends and sector performance - Management refrained from commenting on backlog specifics but indicated solid performance across sectors, with EMEA lagging behind the U.S. [29][30] Question: Quality of assets and deal activity - Management acknowledged a strong environment but noted that the volume of deals is expected to pick up after Labor Day, with a focus on the quality of assets moving [34][35] Question: Non-compensation expense growth expectations - Management confirmed expectations for high single-digit growth in non-compensation expenses for the year, driven by headcount growth [36][48] Question: Restructuring market outlook - Management indicated that restructuring activity remains elevated, with a strong pipeline across both in-court and out-of-court transactions [41][43] Question: Growth of the secondaries business - Management expressed satisfaction with the growth of the secondaries business, indicating a positive outlook for its integration within the Capital Solutions group [44][45] Question: Sponsor market activity post-Labor Day - Management expects an increase in sponsor activity after Labor Day, noting that current activity levels are muted but showing signs of improvement [54][55] Question: Hiring strategy and focus areas - Management emphasized a commitment to hiring across all sectors, without a specific focus on any particular business or sector [81][82]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported revenues of $605 million for the first quarter, an 18% increase year-over-year, and adjusted earnings per share of $2.14, up 75% compared to the same quarter last year [5][6][10] - Adjusted compensation expenses were $372 million, up from $316 million in the same period last year, maintaining an adjusted compensation expense ratio of 61.5% [13][14] - Adjusted non-compensation expenses increased to $94 million from $80 million year-over-year, with a non-compensation expense ratio of 15.6% [14][15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Corporate Finance generated $399 million in revenue, a 21% increase year-over-year, with 125 transactions closed, up from 116 [6][11] - Financial Restructuring revenues were $128 million, a 9% increase, with 35 transactions closed compared to 33 in the same quarter last year [7][12] - Financial and Valuation Advisory produced $79 million in revenues, a 16% increase, with 957 fee events, up from 847 [8][12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The U.S. market continues to outperform EMEA in terms of revenue and activity levels, with expectations that this trend will persist [11][12][56] - The company noted that while the sponsor activity has been muted, there are signs of improvement expected post-Labor Day [54][55] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on maintaining a diversified business model across industries and geographies, which has shown resilience in the current macro environment [6][10] - The company is committed to hiring senior talent and expanding its workforce through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions [9][78] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed cautious optimism regarding the business environment, acknowledging ongoing volatility and uncertainty [61] - The outlook for fiscal year 2026 remains positive, with expectations for continued growth across all business lines [10][19] Other Important Information - The company hosted the inaugural Houlihan Lokey ONE conference, which was well-received, showcasing its global reach and client engagement [9] - The adjusted effective tax rate for the quarter was negative 0.8%, a significant decrease from 31.2% in the same quarter last year, due to changes in stock-based compensation accounting [18][19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on Corporate Finance market improvement - Management noted that while there is improvement quarter by quarter, it is not necessarily consistent month by month, with clients adapting to market conditions [25][26] Question: Backlog trends and sector performance - Management refrained from commenting on backlog specifics but indicated solid performance across sectors, with EMEA lagging behind the U.S. [28][29] Question: Quality of assets and deal activity - Management acknowledged a strong environment but noted that the volume of deals is expected to pick up after Labor Day [33][34] Question: Non-compensation expense growth expectations - Management confirmed expectations for high single-digit growth in non-compensation expenses for the year, despite a higher first quarter [36][37] Question: Restructuring market outlook - Management indicated that both in-court and out-of-court restructuring activities remain strong, with a good pipeline expected to continue [41][42] Question: Growth of the secondaries business - Management expressed satisfaction with the growth of the secondaries business, which is integrated within the Capital Solutions group [44][45] Question: Sponsor market activity post-Labor Day - Management expects an increase in sponsor activity after Labor Day, consistent with broader market trends [54][55] Question: Hiring strategy and focus areas - Management emphasized a commitment to hiring across all sectors, without specific focus areas, driven by growth opportunities [78][80]

Company Overview - Houlihan Lokey has 33 locations worldwide and 2,677 global employees, including 347 managing directors[11] - The firm's revenue reached $2.5 billion for the last twelve months ended June 30, 2025[11] - The average tenure of the Executive Management Team and Operating Committee Team is over 25 years[15] - No single individual generated more than 2% of the firm's revenues[24] Financial Performance - The company experienced strong revenue growth with a five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16%[19] - Adjusted pre-tax income grew at a CAGR of 17% over the same five-year period[19] - For the three months ended June 30, 2025, revenues were $605.349 million compared to $513.609 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024[130] - Adjusted net income for the three months ended June 30, 2025, was $148.005 million, or $2.14 per diluted share, compared to $84.305 million, or $1.22 per diluted share for the three months ended June 30, 2024[130] Business Segments - Corporate Finance generated $1.597 billion in revenue, representing 64% of the total, Financial Restructuring $555 million (23%), and Financial and Valuation Advisory $329 million (13%) for the last twelve months ended June 30, 2025[71] - The Corporate Finance group closed 573 transactions, Financial Restructuring 147, and Financial and Valuation Advisory 2,460 fee events[71] - The company has increased its Managing Director Headcount by a CAGR of 9% over the last 20 years[59]

Group 1 - Houlihan Lokey (NYSE: HLI) operates in the US-listed independent advisor space, which is characterized by a strong focus on mergers and acquisitions (M&A) [1] - The company's business model is divided into three segments: corporate finance (including M&A advisory and capital markets), financial restructuring (covering bankruptcy filings and liability management), and financial & valuation [1]

The market expects Houlihan Lokey (HLI) to deliver a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended June 2025. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.The earnings report, which is expected to be released on July 29, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better ...