HLI vs. XYZ: Houlihan Lokey vs. Block Stock Comparison
How do Houlihan Lokey (HLI) and Block (XYZ) 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 Block (XYZ) both fall under the Financial Services industry group, but HLI is classified in Capital Markets while XYZ is classified in Financial Services.
| Profile Item | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | Block 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 | Financial Services |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Investment Banking & Brokerage | Transaction & Payment Processing Services |
| Market Capitalization | 10.13 billion USD | 51.67 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NYSE | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 13, 2015 | November 19, 2015 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Price Performance
Cumulative Growth
Trailing Returns
Calendar-Year Returns
Performance Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return (1Y) | -16.23% | 35.34% |
| Total Return (3Y, Annualized) | 15.13% | 20.17% |
| Total Return (5Y, Annualized) | 6.74% | -17.43% |
Risk Profile
Drawdown History
Return Distribution
Risk Metrics
Block (XYZ) carries a highly aggressive beta of 2.48, indicating much higher sensitivity to broad-market moves, whereas Houlihan Lokey (HLI) is closer to market-like at 0.87 — a noticeable difference in market-sensitivity profile.
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Volatility (1Y, Annualized) | 31.00% | 48.01% |
| Beta (5Y) | 0.87 | 2.48 |
| Max Drawdown (5Y) | -40.30% | -83.55% |
| Avg. Volume (3M) | 816.85K | 4.73M |
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Return Positioning
Risk-Adjusted Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Ratio (1Y) | -0.66 | 0.65 |
| Sortino Ratio (1Y) | -0.91 | 1.03 |
Profitability
ROE (TTM)
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 17.29% is around its peer norm for ROE, while Block (XYZ) at 2.02% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker returns on shareholders’ equity.
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%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.02%
- Max
- 44.78%
- Q3
- 21.85%
- Median
- 12.91%
- Q1
- 4.48%
- XYZ
- 2.02%
- Min
- -18.71%
Net Margin (TTM)
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 15.80% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while Block (XYZ) at 1.80% retains only a bottom-quartile share.
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%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
1.80%
- Max
- 62.84%
- Q3
- 28.05%
- Median
- 15.36%
- Q1
- 4.82%
- XYZ
- 1.80%
- Min
- -28.52%
Operating Margin (TTM)
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.42% runs core operations around its industry’s norm, while Block (XYZ) at 6.65% operates in the bottom quartile.
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%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
6.65%
- Max
- 107.33%
- Q3
- 55.90%
- Median
- 30.09%
- Q1
- 14.60%
- XYZ
- 6.65%
- Min
- -44.34%
Profitability Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM) | 17.29% | 2.02% |
| ROA (TTM) | 10.38% | 1.94% |
| Net Margin (TTM) | 15.80% | 1.80% |
| Operating Margin (TTM) | 24.42% | 6.65% |
| Gross Margin (TTM) | -- | -- |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 9.55% is around its peer norm for revenue growth, while Block (XYZ) at 0.30% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker demand or pricing momentum.
EPS Growth
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 6.87% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while Block (XYZ) at -53.95% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.
Growth Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (YoY) | 9.55% | 0.30% |
| Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR) | 13.10% | 11.33% |
| EPS Growth (YoY) | 6.87% | -53.95% |
| 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 Block (XYZ) 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 Block (XYZ) 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 | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Debt / Equity (MRQ) | -- | -- |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | -- | -- |
Dividends
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Block (XYZ) 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%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 9.77%
- Q3
- 3.92%
- Median
- 1.09%
- XYZ
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Block (XYZ) 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%
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
0.00%
- Max
- 241.07%
- Q3
- 97.36%
- Median
- 25.77%
- XYZ
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 1.77% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 43.62% | 0.00% |
Valuation
P/E Ratio (TTM)
Houlihan Lokey (HLI) at 24.47 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Block (XYZ) at 112.47 sits above its peer range — an unusually expensive price for XYZ’s trailing earnings.
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
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
112.47
- XYZ
- 112.47
- Max
- 45.85
- Q3
- 24.64
- 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 Block (XYZ) at 2.01 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
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.01
- Max
- 9.23
- Q3
- 4.57
- Median
- 2.72
- XYZ
- 2.01
- Q1
- 1.28
- Min
- -0.55
P/B Ratio (MRQ)
Block (XYZ) at 2.26 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
XYZ
Financial Services industry group
2.26
- Max
- 7.79
- Q3
- 3.63
- XYZ
- 2.26
- Median
- 1.57
- Q1
- 0.81
- Min
- -0.39
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | HLI | XYZ |
|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio (TTM) | 24.47 | 112.47 |
| P/S Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | 2.01 |
| P/B Ratio (MRQ) | 4.39 | 2.26 |
| Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM) | -- | -- |