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HLI vs PIPR
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) vs. Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- HLI boasts a larger market capitalization of approximately $11 billion and leads in Q1 2026 M&A advisory volume, signaling robust deal-making momentum.
- PIPR delivers stronger one-year returns of about 57%, reflecting resilience amid market volatility.
- Both firms operate in investment banking, with HLI focused on M&A (mergers and acquisitions) and restructuring, while PIPR emphasizes capital markets and brokerage.
- HLI's lower beta of 1.01 indicates greater stability compared to PIPR's 1.48.
- Year-to-date, HLI outperforms with an 8.81% gain versus PIPR's 5.33%.
- Upcoming PIPR Q1 earnings could shift sentiment in the near term.
Introduction
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) and Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) represent prominent players in the investment banking sector, specializing in advisory services, capital markets, and related financial activities. This stock comparison is particularly relevant for investors tracking financial services amid recovering M&A activity and volatile equity markets. Traders seeking exposure to mid-cap financials with growth potential from deal flow and institutional brokerage will find value in evaluating their relative performance, risk profiles, and market positioning in recent market activity.
HLI Overview and Recent Performance
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) is a global investment bank renowned for its expertise in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate finance, restructuring, and valuation services. The firm generates revenue primarily through advisory fees, benefiting from cyclical upswings in deal-making. In recent weeks, HLI shares have traded around $158, within a 52-week range of $134 to $212, supported by a market cap exceeding $11 billion. Year-to-date gains of 8.81% reflect positive sentiment driven by the firm's top ranking in Q1 2026 M&A advisory volume, particularly in technology deals, amid broader market recovery in private equity-sponsored transactions. This performance underscores resilience in restructuring advisory, a countercyclical strength, though shares remain below recent highs due to sector-wide valuation pressures.
PIPR Overview and Recent Performance
Piper Sandler Companies (PIPR) operates as an investment bank and institutional securities firm, offering M&A advisory, equity and debt capital markets, and public finance services alongside institutional sales and trading. Its diversified model spans sectors like healthcare and technology. Recently, PIPR shares hover near $88, in a 52-week range of $58 to $95, with a market cap of about $6.3 billion. Year-to-date returns stand at 5.33%, following a robust 57% one-year advance, buoyed by strong quarterly revenue beats in prior periods. Sentiment in recent market activity ties to anticipation for Q1 2026 earnings and contributions from capital markets amid heightened volatility, though higher beta exposes it to broader swings.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
HLI and PIPR share investment banking exposure but diverge in focus: HLI excels in high-fee M&A and restructuring, offering countercyclical buffers, while PIPR balances advisory with institutional brokerage for steadier trading revenues. Growth drivers include resurgent deal volumes for both, though HLI's M&A leadership provides an edge in recent momentum. Risk profiles contrast with PIPR's elevated beta signaling higher volatility versus HLI's stability. Sector overlaps in financials expose them similarly to interest rate shifts, but PIPR's public finance niche adds municipal bond sensitivity. Market sentiment favors HLI for deal flow visibility, while PIPR appeals for diversified income trade-offs.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI models currently lean toward HLI based on superior trend consistency in recent market activity, M&A volume leadership as a key catalyst, lower volatility, and stronger year-to-date positioning relative to peers. While PIPR shows impressive longer-term gains, its higher beta introduces uncertainty; probabilities favor HLI for stability amid ongoing sector recovery.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is HLI is a Hold and PIPR is a StrongBuy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
HLI’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whilePIPR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s).
- HLI’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- PIPR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
HLI’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while PIPR’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- HLI’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
- PIPR’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
Price Growth
HLI (@Investment Banks/Brokers) experienced а -1.78% price change this week, while PIPR (@Investment Banks/Brokers) price change was +1.19% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Investment Banks/Brokers industry was -3.46%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -3.42%, and the average quarterly price growth was -11.99%.
Reported Earning Dates
HLI is expected to report earnings on Aug 04, 2026.
PIPR is expected to report earnings on Jul 24, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Investment Banks/Brokers (-3.46% weekly)These banks specialize in underwriting (helping companies with debt financing or equity issuances), IPOs, facilitating mergers and other corporate reorganizations and acting as a broker or financial advisor for institutions. They might also trade securities on their own accounts. Investment banks potentially thrive on expanding its network of clients, since that could help them increase profits. Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and CME Group Inc are some of the largest investment banking companies.
| HLI | PIPR | HLI / PIPR | |
| Capitalization | 9.39B | 5.17B | 182% |
| EBITDA | 661M | N/A | - |
| Gain YTD | -21.271 | -7.936 | 268% |
| P/E Ratio | 21.86 | 19.30 | 113% |
| Revenue | 2.62B | 1.95B | 134% |
| Total Cash | 1.32B | N/A | - |
| Total Debt | 492M | 112M | 439% |
HLI | PIPR | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 62 | 80 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 14 Undervalued | 16 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 47 | 21 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 47 | 41 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 72 | 51 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 78 | 69 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 41 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
HLI's Valuation (14) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry is in the same range as PIPR (16) in the null industry. This means that HLI’s stock grew similarly to PIPR’s over the last 12 months.
PIPR's Profit vs Risk Rating (21) in the null industry is in the same range as HLI (47) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry. This means that PIPR’s stock grew similarly to HLI’s over the last 12 months.
PIPR's SMR Rating (41) in the null industry is in the same range as HLI (47) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry. This means that PIPR’s stock grew similarly to HLI’s over the last 12 months.
PIPR's Price Growth Rating (51) in the null industry is in the same range as HLI (72) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry. This means that PIPR’s stock grew similarly to HLI’s over the last 12 months.
PIPR's P/E Growth Rating (69) in the null industry is in the same range as HLI (78) in the Investment Banks Or Brokers industry. This means that PIPR’s stock grew similarly to HLI’s over the last 12 months.
| HLI | PIPR | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 76% | 2 days ago 72% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 67% | 2 days ago 78% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 48% | 2 days ago 58% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | N/A | 2 days ago 65% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 56% | 2 days ago 73% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 59% | 2 days ago 60% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 21 days ago 61% | 3 days ago 72% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 4 days ago 57% | 11 days ago 63% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 74% | 2 days ago 76% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 58% | 2 days ago 57% |
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HLI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, HLI has been closely correlated with RJF. These tickers have moved in lockstep 76% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if HLI jumps, then RJF could also see price increases.