HLI vs. PYPL: Houlihan Lokey vs. PayPal Stock Comparison
How do Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and PayPal (PYPL) 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 PayPal (PYPL) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but HLI is classified in Capital Markets while PYPL is classified in Financial Services.
| Profile Item | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | PayPal Holdings, Inc. |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| 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 | 49.21 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | August 13, 2015 | July 6, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -16.23% | -7.44% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.13% | 4.14% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.74% | -21.48% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
PayPal (PYPL) is heavily traded at around 11.78M shares per day, whereas Houlihan Lokey (HLI) sees a more moderate 816.85K — larger orders in the latter may require more patience and tighter control over order sizing.
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.00% | 42.40% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.87 | 1.28 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.30% | -81.84% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 816.85K | 11.78M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.66 | -0.28 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.91 | -0.37 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
PayPal (PYPL) at 23.83% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 17.29% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for PYPL.
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%
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
23.83%
- Max
- 44.78%
- PYPL
- 23.83%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 15.80% and PayPal (PYPL) at 13.78% 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%
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
13.78%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- PYPL
- 13.78%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.42% and PayPal (PYPL) at 18.41% 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%
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
18.41%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- PYPL
- 18.41%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.29% | 23.83% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.38% | 4.70% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.80% | 13.78% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 18.41% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 9.55% and PayPal (PYPL) at 4.32% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 6.87% and PayPal (PYPL) at 35.59% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.55% | 4.32% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.10% | 6.43% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.87% | 35.59% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 37.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) in Financial Services and PayPal (PYPL) 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 PayPal (PYPL) 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 | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 1.77% and PayPal (PYPL) at 0.95% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.
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%
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
0.95%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- PYPL
- 0.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 43.62% and PayPal (PYPL) at 10.69% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.
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%
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
10.69%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- PYPL
- 10.69%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.77% | 0.95% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.62% | 10.69% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.47 and PayPal (PYPL) at 11.31 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
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
11.31
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- PYPL
- 11.31
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 3.96 and PayPal (PYPL) at 1.43 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.
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
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
1.43
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- PYPL
- 1.43
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
PayPal (PYPL) at 2.55 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 4.39 carries an above-peer premium to book — HLI is pricier on assets.
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
PYPL
Financial Services industry group
2.55
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- PYPL
- 2.55
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HLI | PYPL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.47 | 11.31 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 1.43 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 2.55 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |