8-K

HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC. (HLI)

8-K 2021-10-29 For: 2021-10-28
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Added on April 04, 2026

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported):

October 28, 2021

Houlihan Lokey, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

Delaware 001-37537 95-2770395
(State or Other Jurisdiction of<br>Incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer<br>Identification No.)

10250 Constellation Blvd.

5th Floor

Los Angeles, California 90067

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

310-788-5200

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

N/A

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

☐    Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐    Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐    Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered
Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 HLI New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 2.02.    Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On October 28, 2021, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. issued a press release announcing its financial results for the second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2021. A copy of the press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference herein.

The information in Item 2.02 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the information contained in Exhibit 99.1, is being furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Item 2.02, and shall not be deemed to be “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by a specific reference in such filing.

Item 9.01.    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d)  Exhibits

99.1     Press Release dated October 28, 2021.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Date: October 28, 2021 Houlihan Lokey, Inc.
By: /s/ J. Lindsey Alley
Name: J. Lindsey Alley
Position: Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No. Description
99.1 Press Release dated October 28, 2021

Document

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Houlihan Lokey Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2022 Financial Results

– Second Quarter Fiscal 2022 Revenues of $537 million –

– Second Quarter Fiscal 2022 Diluted EPS of $1.65 –

– Adjusted Second Quarter Fiscal 2022 Diluted EPS of $1.71 –

– Announces Dividend of $0.43 per Share for Third Quarter Fiscal 2022 –

LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - October 28, 2021 - Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (NYSE:HLI) (“Houlihan Lokey” or the “Company”) today reported financial results for its second quarter ended September 30, 2021. For the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, revenues were $537 million, compared with $276 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Net income was $113 million, or $1.65 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $49 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. Adjusted net income for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021 was $117 million, or $1.71 per diluted share, compared with $52 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020.

“We are beginning our third fiscal quarter with record year-to-date results and the completion of the largest acquisition in the firm’s history. I want to welcome our new colleagues from GCA to the Houlihan Lokey family. As a combined firm, we meaningfully increase our capabilities in the strategically important technology and technology related industry sectors, and become an even more formidable provider of investment banking services in Europe and Asia. We believe that this acquisition creates significant strategic and shareholder value for our firm, and we look forward to achieving these goals over the coming years.” stated Scott Beiser, Chief Executive Officer of Houlihan Lokey.

Selected Financial Data

(In thousands, except per share data) U.S. GAAP
Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
2021 2020 2021 2020
Revenues $ 537,272 $ 275,736 $ 909,994 $ 486,872
Operating expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits 333,374 177,249 565,678 314,370
Non-compensation 46,579 31,612 79,321 63,037
Operating income 157,319 66,875 264,995 109,465
Other (income)/expense, net 853 (196) 752 (1,357)
Income before provision for income taxes 156,466 67,071 264,243 110,822
Provision for income taxes 43,583 18,281 65,400 15,932
Net income attributable to Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $ 112,883 $ 48,790 $ 198,843 $ 94,890
Diluted earnings per share $ 1.65 $ 0.70 $ 2.90 $ 1.39

Revenues

For the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, revenues were $537 million, compared with $276 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. For the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, Corporate Finance (“CF”) revenues increased 259%, Financial Restructuring (“FR”) revenues decreased (34)%, and Financial and Valuation Advisory (“FVA”) revenues increased 55% when compared with the second quarter ended September 30, 2020.

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Expenses

The Company’s employee compensation and benefits expenses, non-compensation expenses, and provision for income taxes during the periods presented and described below are on a GAAP and an adjusted basis.

U.S. GAAP Adjusted (Non-GAAP) *
Three Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits $ 333,374 $ 177,249 $ 330,421 $ 175,090
% of Revenues 62.0 % 64.3 % 61.5 % 63.5 %
Non-compensation $ 46,579 $ 31,612 $ 43,327 $ 28,730
% of Revenues 8.7 % 11.5 % 8.1 % 10.4 %
Provision for Income Taxes $ 43,583 $ 18,281 $ 45,311 $ 19,655
% of Pre-Tax Income 27.9 % 27.3 % 27.9 % 27.3 %

*Adjusted figures represent non-GAAP information. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the tables at the end of this release for an explanation of the adjustments and reconciliations to the comparable GAAP numbers.

U.S. GAAP Adjusted (Non-GAAP) *
Six Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits $ 565,678 $ 314,370 $ 559,646 $ 307,050
% of Revenues 62.2 % 64.6 % 61.5 % 63.1 %
Non-compensation $ 79,321 $ 63,037 $ 75,005 $ 58,739
% of Revenues 8.7 % 12.9 % 8.2 % 12.1 %
Provision for Income Taxes $ 65,400 $ 15,932 $ 75,155 $ 32,376
% of Pre-Tax Income 24.7 % 14.4 % 27.4 % 26.4 %

*Adjusted figures represent non-GAAP information. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and the tables at the end of this release for an explanation of the adjustments and reconciliations to the comparable GAAP numbers.

Employee compensation and benefits expenses were $333 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $177 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. Adjusted employee compensation and benefits expenses were $330 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $175 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. This resulted in an adjusted compensation ratio of 61.5% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, versus 63.5% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. The increase in GAAP and adjusted employee compensation and benefits expenses was primarily a result of an increase in fee revenues for the quarter when compared with the same quarter last year.

Non-compensation expenses were $47 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $32 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. Adjusted non-compensation expenses were $43 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $29 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. The increase in GAAP and adjusted non-compensation expenses was primarily a result of an increase in other operating expenses and travel, meals, and entertainment expenses.

The provision for income taxes was $44 million, representing an effective tax rate of 27.9% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $18 million, representing an effective tax rate of 27.3% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. The adjusted provision for income taxes was $45 million, representing an adjusted effective tax rate of 27.9% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $20 million, representing an adjusted effective tax rate of 27.3% for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020.

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Segment Reporting for the Second Fiscal Quarter

Corporate Finance

CF revenues were $388 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $108 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020, representing an increase of 259%. Revenues increased primarily due to a significant increase in the number of closed transactions and the average transaction fee on closed transactions.

Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Corporate Finance
Revenues $ 388,410 $ 108,049 $ 598,401 $ 196,020
# of Managing Directors 126 125 126 125
# of Closed transactions (1) 134 53 218 88

Financial Restructuring

FR revenues decreased (34)% to $83 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $125 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. Revenues decreased primarily due to a decrease in the number of closed transactions.

Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Financial Restructuring
Revenues $ 83,184 $ 125,391 $ 181,959 $ 214,011
# of Managing Directors 51 47 51 47
# of Closed transactions (1) 20 30 44 59

Financial and Valuation Advisory

FVA revenues increased 55% to $66 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared with $42 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2020. Revenues increased primarily due to an increase in the number of fee events.

Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
($ in thousands) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Financial and Valuation Advisory
Revenues $ 65,678 $ 42,296 $ 129,634 $ 76,841
# of Managing Directors 37 31 37 31
# of Fee Events (1) 806 539 1,242 798

(1)A Fee Event includes any engagement that involves revenue activity during the measurement period based on a revenue minimum of one thousand dollars. References in this press release to closed transactions should be understood to be the same as transactions that are “effectively closed” as described in our periodic reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.

Balance Sheet and Capital Allocation

The Board of Directors of the Company declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.43 per share of Class A and Class B common stock. The dividend will be payable on December 15, 2021 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on December 2, 2021.

The Board of Directors of the Company increased the size of its share repurchase program from $200 million to $250 million.

As of September 30, 2021, the Company had $963 million of cash and cash equivalents and investment securities, and $65 million of other liabilities and loans payable to former shareholders.

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Investor Conference Call and Webcast

The Company will host a conference call and live webcast at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 28, 2021, to discuss its second quarter fiscal 2022 results. The number to call is 1-877-407-4018 (domestic) or 1-201-689-8471 (international). A live webcast will be available in the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website. A replay of the conference call will be available from October 28, 2021 through November 4, 2021, by dialing 1-844-512-2921 (domestic) or 1-412-317-6671 (international) and entering the passcode 13724237#. A replay of the webcast will be archived and available on the Company’s website.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. You can identify these statements by our use of the words “assumes,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “guidance,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” and similar expressions that do not relate to historical matters. For a further description of such factors, you should read the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which cannot be predicted or quantified, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. The events and circumstances reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur and actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted net income, total and on a per share basis, and certain adjusted items used to determine adjusted net income, are presented and discussed in this earnings press release and are non-GAAP measures that management believes, when presented together with comparable GAAP measures, are useful to investors in understanding the Company’s operating results. These adjusted items remove the significant accounting impact of one-time or non-recurring charges associated with the Company’s one-time/non-recurring matters, as set forth in the tables at the end of this release.

The adjusted items included in this earnings press release as calculated by the Company are not necessarily comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. Additionally, these adjusted amounts are not a measurement of financial performance or liquidity under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to the Company’s financial information determined under GAAP. For a description of the Company’s use of these adjusted items and a reconciliation with comparable GAAP items, see the section of this press release titled “Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Financial Information.” Please refer to our financial statements, prepared in accordance with GAAP, for purposes of evaluating our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

About Houlihan Lokey

Houlihan Lokey (NYSE:HLI) is a global investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, and valuation. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments worldwide with offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region. Independent advice and intellectual rigor are hallmarks of the firm’s commitment to client success across its advisory services. Houlihan Lokey is the No. 1 M&A advisor for the past six consecutive years in the U.S., the No. 1 global restructuring advisor for the past seven consecutive years, and the No. 1 global M&A fairness opinion advisor over the past 20 years, all based on number of transactions and according to data provided by Refinitiv.

For more information, please visit www.HL.com.

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Contact Information

Investor Relations<br>212.331.8225<br>IR@HL.com OR Public Relations<br>212.331.8223<br>PR@HL.com

Appendix

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (Unaudited)

Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income (Unaudited)

Reconciliation of GAAP to Adjusted Financial Information (Unaudited)

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HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(UNAUDITED)

(In thousands, except share data and par value) September 30, 2021 March 31, 2021
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $ 923,009 $ 846,851
Restricted cash 373 373
Investment securities 40,425 208,618
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for credit losses 127,274 108,409
Unbilled work in process, net of allowance for credit losses 115,732 118,115
Deferred income taxes 36,401 28,332
Property and equipment, net 43,295 46,370
Operating lease right-of-use assets 143,341 152,031
Goodwill and other intangibles, net 883,964 866,221
Other assets 43,015 50,747
Total assets $ 2,356,829 $ 2,426,067
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Liabilities:
Accrued salaries and bonuses $ 577,698 $ 648,399
Accounts payable and accrued expenses 60,273 67,468
Deferred income 26,923 27,868
Income taxes payable 24,540 68,339
Deferred income taxes 45 52
Loans payable to former shareholders 711 818
Operating lease liabilities 164,209 174,516
Other liabilities 64,693 55,046
Total liabilities 919,092 1,042,506
Stockholders' equity:
Class A common stock, $0.001 par value. Authorized 1,000,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 50,927,005 and 51,245,442 shares, respectively 51 51
Class B common stock, $0.001 par value. Authorized 1,000,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 17,348,305 and 16,951,696 shares, respectively 17 17
Additional paid-in capital 720,579 803,573
Retained earnings 741,678 600,096
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) (24,588) (20,176)
Total stockholders' equity 1,437,737 1,383,561
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,356,829 $ 2,426,067

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HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(UNAUDITED)

Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands, except share and per share data) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Revenues $ 537,272 $ 275,736 $ 909,994 $ 486,872
Operating expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits 333,374 177,249 565,678 314,370
Travel, meals, and entertainment 4,687 964 6,374 3,078
Rent 9,050 10,301 19,275 19,924
Depreciation and amortization 4,344 3,670 8,515 7,342
Information technology and communications 8,858 6,868 15,819 13,251
Professional fees 6,915 5,227 13,616 10,234
Other operating expenses 12,725 4,582 15,722 9,208
Total operating expenses 379,953 208,861 644,999 377,407
Operating income 157,319 66,875 264,995 109,465
Other (income)/expense, net 853 (196) 752 (1,357)
Income before provision for income taxes 156,466 67,071 264,243 110,822
Provision for income taxes 43,583 18,281 65,400 15,932
Net income attributable to Houlihan Lokey, Inc. $ 112,883 $ 48,790 $ 198,843 $ 94,890
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding:
Basic 65,156,968 66,787,832 65,433,649 65,244,611
Fully diluted 68,566,127 69,615,060 68,641,962 68,214,505
Earnings per share
Basic $ 1.73 $ 0.73 $ 3.04 $ 1.45
Fully diluted $ 1.65 $ 0.70 $ 2.90 $ 1.39

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HOULIHAN LOKEY, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO ADJUSTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(UNAUDITED)

Three Months Ended September 30, Six Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands, except per share data) 2021 2020 2021 2020
Revenues $ 537,272 $ 275,736 $ 909,994 $ 486,872
Employee compensation and benefits expenses
Employee compensation and benefits expenses (GAAP) $ 333,374 $ 177,249 $ 565,678 $ 314,370
(Less)/plus: Acquisition related retention payments (2,953) (2,159) (6,032) (7,320)
Employee compensation and benefits expenses (adjusted) 330,421 175,090 559,646 307,050
Non-compensation expenses
Non-compensation expenses (GAAP) $ 46,579 $ 31,612 $ 79,321 $ 63,037
(Less)/plus: Secondary offering related costs (418)
(Less)/plus: Acquisition related costs (1,640) (1,258) (1,640) (1,258)
(Less)/plus: Acquisition amortization (1,612) (888) (2,676) (1,886)
(Less)/plus: Oracle ERP implementation (736) (736)
Non-compensation expenses (adjusted) 43,327 28,730 75,005 58,739
Operating income
Operating income (GAAP) $ 157,319 $ 66,875 $ 264,995 $ 109,465
(Less)/plus: Adjustments (1) 6,205 5,041 10,348 11,618
Operating income (adjusted) 163,524 71,916 275,343 121,083
Other (income)/expense, net
Other (income)/expense, net (GAAP) $ 853 $ (196) $ 752 $ (1,357)
Other (income)/expense, net (adjusted) 853 (196) 752 (1,357)
Provision/(benefit) for income taxes
Provision/(benefit) for income taxes (GAAP) $ 43,583 $ 18,281 $ 65,400 $ 15,932
(Less)/plus: Impact of the excess tax benefit for stock vesting 6,922 13,408
Adjusted provision/(benefit) for income taxes 43,583 18,281 72,322 29,340
(Less)/plus: Resulting tax impact (2) 1,728 1,374 2,833 3,036
Provision/(benefit) for income taxes (adjusted) 45,311 19,655 75,155 32,376
Net income
Net income (GAAP) $ 112,883 $ 48,790 $ 198,843 $ 94,890
(Less)/plus: adjustments (3) 4,477 3,667 593 (4,826)
Net income (adjusted) 117,360 52,457 199,436 90,064
Diluted EPS (GAAP) $ 1.65 $ 0.70 $ 2.90 $ 1.39
Diluted EPS (adjusted) $ 1.71 $ 0.75 $ 2.91 $ 1.32

(1)The aggregate of adjustments from employee compensation and benefits and non-compensation expenses.

(2)Reflects the tax impact of utilizing the adjusted effective tax rate on the non-tax adjustments identified above.

(3)Consists of all adjustments identified above net of the associated tax impact.

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