HLI vs. PAYP: Houlihan Lokey vs. PayPay Stock Comparison
How do Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and PayPay (PAYP) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.
Company Profile
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and PayPay (PAYP) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but HLI is classified in Capital Markets while PAYP is classified in Financial Services.
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) has been public since August 13, 2015 with a meaningfully longer listed history, while PayPay (PAYP) only listed on March 12, 2026 — long-window metrics on the PAYP side should be interpreted with caution.
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) trades as ordinary local shares, while PayPay (PAYP) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.
| Profile Item | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | PayPay Corp ADR |
| Country/Region | United States | Japan |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Investment Banking & Brokerage | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 10.13 billion USD | 10.10 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | August 13, 2015 | March 12, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -16.23% | -- |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.13% | -- |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.74% | -- |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.00% | 73.49% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.87 | 0.24 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.30% | -49.63% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 816.85K | 659.95K |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both HLI and PAYP need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.66 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.91 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 17.29% and PayPay (PAYP) at 18.80% land near their industries’ usual ROE ranges, so capital efficiency looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
17.29%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- HLI
- 17.29%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
18.80%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- PAYP
- 18.80%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 15.80% and PayPay (PAYP) at 15.85% keep about the typical share of revenue as profit for their industries — neither bottom line stands out from peers.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
15.80%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- HLI
- 15.80%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
15.85%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- PAYP
- 15.85%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.42% and PayPay (PAYP) at 32.79% run core operations about as efficiently as their industries’ norm — neither stands out on operating profitability.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
24.42%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- HLI
- 24.42%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
32.79%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- PAYP
- 32.79%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.29% | 18.80% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.38% | 1.34% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.80% | 15.85% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 32.79% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 9.55% and PayPay (PAYP) at 25.85% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
PayPay (PAYP) at 230.06% clears its industry range for EPS growth, a much stronger earnings trajectory than Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 6.87%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.55% | 25.85% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.10% | 23.06% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.87% | 230.06% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | -- |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) in Financial Services and PayPay (PAYP) in Financial Services both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.
Debt / Equity (MRQ)
debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) in Financial Services and PayPay (PAYP) in Financial Services run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.
Financial Strength Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
PayPay (PAYP) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Houlihan Lokey (HLI) reports a yield of 1.77%, ranking against industry peers normally.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
1.77%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- HLI
- 1.77%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- PAYP
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
PayPay (PAYP) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Houlihan Lokey (HLI) reports a payout of 43.62%, ranking against industry peers normally.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
43.62%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- HLI
- 43.62%
- Median
- 25.77%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- PAYP
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.77% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.62% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.47 and PayPay (PAYP) at 23.30 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
24.47
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- HLI
- 24.47
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
23.30
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- PAYP
- 23.30
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
PayPay (PAYP) at 0.02 sits in the cheaper P/S ratio quartile while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 3.96 prices around its industry’s middle — PAYP costs less per dollar of sales, though read it alongside growth and margins.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
3.96
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- HLI
- 3.96
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
0.02
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- PAYP
- 0.02
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 4.39 and PayPay (PAYP) at 3.75 carry a premium to book value versus peers, sitting in the upper P/B ratio quartile of their industries.
HLI
Financial Services industry group
4.39
- Max
- 7.79
- HLI
- 4.39
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
PAYP
Financial Services industry group
3.75
- Max
- 7.79
- PAYP
- 3.75
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PAYP |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.47 | 23.30 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 0.02 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 3.75 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |