HLI vs. WSE: Houlihan Lokey vs. Wise Stock Comparison
How do Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but HLI is classified in Capital Markets while WSE is classified in Financial Services.
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) has been public since August 13, 2015 with a meaningfully longer listed history, while Wise (WSE) only listed on May 11, 2026 — long-window metrics on the WSE side should be interpreted with caution.
| Profile Item | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | Wise Group plc |
| Country/Region | United States | United Kingdom |
| 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 | 10.76 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | Nasdaq |
| Listing Date | August 13, 2015 | May 11, 2026 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.00% | 44.06% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.87 | 1.56 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.30% | -32.47% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 816.85K | 1.74M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Both HLI and WSE need 1-year volatility and 1-year return to plot risk-return positioning.
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.66 | -- |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.91 | -- |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 27.23% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 17.29% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for WSE.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
27.23%
- Max
- 44.78%
- WSE
- 27.23%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 15.80% and Wise (WSE) at 19.93% 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
19.93%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- WSE
- 19.93%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Wise (WSE) at 59.77% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.42%, which runs around its industry’s norm.
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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
59.77%
- Max
- 107.33%
- WSE
- 59.77%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.29% | 27.23% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.38% | 2.41% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.80% | 19.93% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 59.77% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 9.55% and Wise (WSE) at 17.14% 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 Wise (WSE) at -5.78% 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.55% | 17.14% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.10% | 30.26% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.87% | -5.78% |
| EPS Growth (3Y CAGR) | 16.05% | 52.89% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) in Financial Services and Wise (WSE) 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 Wise (WSE) 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 | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Wise (WSE) 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Wise (WSE) 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%
WSE
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- WSE
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Wise (WSE) at 23.23 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
23.23
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- WSE
- 23.23
- Median
- 15.37
- Q1
- 9.68
- Min
- 0.16
P/S Ratio (TTM)
On P/S ratio, both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 3.96 and Wise (WSE) at 4.30 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
4.30
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- WSE
- 4.30
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Both Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 4.39 and Wise (WSE) at 5.94 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
WSE
Financial Services industry group
5.94
- Max
- 7.79
- WSE
- 5.94
- Q3
- 3.63
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HLI | WSE |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.47 | 23.23 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 4.30 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 5.94 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |