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Houlihan Lokey, Inc.: Q4 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record fiscal year revenue: Fiscal 2026 revenues were $2.62 billion, against $2.39 billion a year earlier, which the company described as a record year. Source
  • Fiscal year diluted EPS higher: Diluted EPS was $6.22 against $5.82, and adjusted diluted EPS was $7.56 against $6.29. GAAP net income attributable to the company was $426 million. Source
  • Fourth quarter revenue and EPS lower: Fourth quarter revenues were $636 million against $666 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.47 against $1.76, and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.63 against $1.96. Source
  • Financial Restructuring fell 33%: Financial Restructuring revenue fell 33% in the quarter. Management said the lower average fee came from transaction mix and was not a trend. Source
  • Adjusted compensation ratio held flat: Adjusted compensation rose to $1.61 billion from $1.47 billion for the year, and the adjusted ratio was 61.5% in both years. Source
  • Non-compensation costs rose on revaluation: GAAP non-compensation expense rose to $407 million from $363 million, with revaluation of acquisition contingent consideration, travel and IT among the drivers. Source
  • Adjusted tax rate fell for year: Adjusted effective tax rate was 23.7% for the year against 29.8%, primarily reflecting the policy change on stock-based compensation deductions. Source
  • Cash and investments reported at $1.36 billion: Unrestricted cash and investment securities were $1.36 billion at March 31, 2026, against $1.18 billion at December 31, 2025. Source

“Despite a challenging external environment, fiscal 2026 was another record year for our firm, demonstrating the resilience and diversification of our business model.”

Scott Adelson, Chief Executive Officer of Houlihan Lokey

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly dividend SourceQuarter payable June 15, 2026$0.70 per shareRaised from $0.60 per share

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Adjusted results no longer exclude the tax impact of stock-based compensation deductions, which the company described as a policy change. Source
  • New: Balance sheet shows $110.6 million of redeemable noncontrolling interest at March 31, 2026, where the prior-quarter and prior-year balance sheets showed none. Source

Fiscal year and fourth quarter results

  • Record fiscal year revenue: Fiscal 2026 revenues were $2.62 billion, against $2.39 billion a year earlier, which the company described as a record year. Source
  • Fiscal year diluted EPS higher: Diluted EPS was $6.22 against $5.82, and adjusted diluted EPS was $7.56 against $6.29. GAAP net income attributable to the company was $426 million. Source
  • Fourth quarter revenue and EPS lower: Fourth quarter revenues were $636 million against $666 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $1.47 against $1.76, and adjusted diluted EPS was $1.63 against $1.96. Source

Segment revenue and deal activity

  • Corporate Finance grew on closings: Corporate Finance revenue rose 5% in the quarter and 14% for the year, which the company attributed to more closed transactions under favorable market conditions. Source
  • Financial Restructuring fell 33%: Financial Restructuring revenue fell 33% in the quarter. Management said the lower average fee came from transaction mix and was not a trend. Source
  • Restructuring volume lower on timing: Management attributed the lower Financial Restructuring transaction volume to the timing of closings, and said it does not represent a trend. Source
  • Advisory revenue rose on M&A markets: Financial and Valuation Advisory revenue rose 3% in the quarter and 8% for the year, which the company tied to more Fee Events from improving M&A markets. Source

“Although there is some uncertainty in the market as we enter fiscal 2027, we remain optimistic about the prospects across all three of our business lines,”

Scott Adelson, Chief Executive Officer of Houlihan Lokey

Compensation and non-compensation costs

  • Adjusted compensation ratio held flat: Adjusted compensation rose to $1.61 billion from $1.47 billion for the year, and the adjusted ratio was 61.5% in both years. Source
  • GAAP compensation ratio higher: GAAP compensation ratio was 64.3% for the year against 63.8%, and 64.3% in the quarter against 64.6%. Source
  • Non-compensation costs rose on revaluation: GAAP non-compensation expense rose to $407 million from $363 million, with revaluation of acquisition contingent consideration, travel and IT among the drivers. Source

Tax rate and transaction fee mix

  • Adjusted tax rate fell for year: Adjusted effective tax rate was 23.7% for the year against 29.8%, primarily reflecting the policy change on stock-based compensation deductions. Source
  • Fourth quarter adjusted tax rate higher: Adjusted effective tax rate in the quarter was 31.4% against 24.5% a year earlier. Source
  • Fee mix lowered average transaction fee: Average fee on closed Corporate Finance transactions fell on transaction mix, which management said does not represent a short-term trend. Source

Cash, capital and working capital

  • Cash and investments reported at $1.36 billion: Unrestricted cash and investment securities were $1.36 billion at March 31, 2026, against $1.18 billion at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Share repurchases continued in quarter: The company repurchased 301 thousand shares in the fourth quarter under its share repurchase program, against about 418,000 shares in the third quarter. Source
  • Unbilled work in process increased: Unbilled work in process was $271.2 million at March 31, 2026, against $157.8 million a year earlier, while accrued salaries and bonuses rose to $1.08 billion. Source

Non-GAAP adjustments and reporting

  • Legal structure fees excluded: Legal and professional fees for simplifying the legal entity structure after acquisitions were $1.5 million for the year and are excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Acquisition compensation excluded: Acquisition related compensation and benefits of $73.6 million for the year, against $54.8 million, are excluded from adjusted compensation. Source
  • Acquisition amortization excluded: Acquisition amortization excluded from adjusted non-compensation expense was $15.1 million for the year, against $19.3 million a year earlier. Source

Leadership view and prospects

  • Fiscal 2025 leadership transition tax item: Notes describe a fiscal 2025 reversal of deferred income taxes tied to the senior management transition; the fiscal 2026 reconciliation shows no amount for it. Source
  • Chief executive frames record year: Chief executive Scott Adelson described fiscal 2026 as a record year despite a challenging external environment, citing the business model. Source
  • Confidence across three business lines: Chief executive said the company remains optimistic about prospects across its three business lines, despite market uncertainty. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026

  • Dividend payable June 15, 2026: The $0.70 per share quarterly dividend is payable to holders of record at the close of business on June 1, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Corporate Finance managing directors, end of fiscal 2026 Source251
Corporate Finance closed transactions, fourth quarter Source171
Corporate Finance closed transactions, fiscal year Source644
Financial Restructuring closed transactions, fourth quarter Source30
Financial Restructuring closed transactions, fiscal year Source143
Fee Events, fourth quarter (Financial and Valuation Advisory) Source1,248

Risks management discussed

  • External: Management said there is some uncertainty in the market entering fiscal 2027, and referred to a challenging external environment. Source
  • Financial: Management attributed the higher fourth quarter adjusted tax rate to a larger quarterly true-up tied to the annual adjusted effective tax rate. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.