HLI vs. VIRT: Houlihan Lokey vs. Virtu Financial Stock Comparison
How do Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) are both classified in the Investment Banking & Brokerage sub-industry within the broader Capital Markets industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.
| Profile Item | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | Virtu Financial Inc. Class A Common Stock |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Financials | Financials |
| GICS Industry Group | Financial Services | Financial Services |
| GICS Industry | Capital Markets | Capital Markets |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Investment Banking & Brokerage | Investment Banking & Brokerage |
| Market Capitalization | 10.13 billion USD | 11.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 13, 2015 | April 16, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -16.23% | 57.98% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.13% | 51.24% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.74% | 19.25% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.00% | 37.43% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.87 | 0.69 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.30% | -54.52% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 816.85K | 1.26M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.66 | 1.43 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.91 | 2.27 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 57.03% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 17.29%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.
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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
57.03%
- VIRT
- 57.03%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 15.80% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 17.96% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
17.96%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- VIRT
- 17.96%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.42% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 36.32% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
36.32%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- VIRT
- 36.32%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.29% | 57.03% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.38% | 5.01% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.80% | 17.96% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 36.32% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 9.55% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 26.25% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.
EPS Growth
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 72.73% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 6.87% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for VIRT.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.55% | 26.25% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.10% | 15.38% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.87% | 72.73% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 28.11% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) in Financial Services and Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 Virtu Financial (VIRT) 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 | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 1.77% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.78% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.78%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- VIRT
- 1.78%
- Median
- 1.09%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 43.62% and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 15.95% 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%
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
15.95%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- VIRT
- 15.95%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.77% | 1.78% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.62% | 15.95% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 7.92 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.47 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for VIRT, though growth and earnings durability still matter.
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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
7.92
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- VIRT
- 7.92
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 3.96 and Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 3.35 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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
3.35
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- VIRT
- 3.35
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Virtu Financial (VIRT) at 1.92 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
VIRT
Financial Services industry group
1.92
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- VIRT
- 1.92
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HLI | VIRT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.47 | 7.92 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 3.35 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 1.92 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |