Barclays Leads Q1 2026 M&A Advisory by Value
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 12 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy HLI?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Value Leadership: According to GlobalData's latest rankings, Barclays led the financial services M&A advisory in Q1 2026 with $31.4 billion in deal value, showcasing its strong market influence.
- Volume Performance: Houlihan Lokey ranked first by deal count with 15 transactions, maintaining its position from the previous year, reflecting its sustained trust among clients despite no increase in deal volume.
- Competitor Analysis: Morgan Stanley secured the second position with $27.9 billion in advised deals, indicating robust performance in the advisory sector, while Goldman Sachs and Lazard followed closely with $26.8 billion and $25.6 billion respectively, highlighting intense competition.
- Barclays' Significant Growth: Compared to Q1 2025, Barclays experienced a more than seven-fold increase in total deal value, successfully rising from eighth to first place, demonstrating effective strategies in securing large transactions, particularly two mega deals exceeding $10 billion.
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Analyst Views on HLI
Wall Street analysts forecast HLI stock price to rise
4 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 152.870
Low
193.00
Averages
215.50
High
235.00
Current: 152.870
Low
193.00
Averages
215.50
High
235.00
About HLI
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. is a global investment bank specializing in mergers and acquisitions, capital solutions, financial restructuring, and financial and valuation advisory. Its segments include Corporate Finance (CF), Financial Restructuring (FR), and Financial and Valuation Advisory (FVA). CF segment provides general financial advisory services and advice on mergers and acquisitions and capital solutions offerings. FR segment offers a range of advisory services to its clients, including: the structuring, negotiation, and confirmation of plans of reorganization; liability management transactions; corporate viability assessment, and procuring debtor-in-possession financing. FVA segment provides financial advisory and valuation services with respect to companies, debt and equity interests (including complex illiquid investments), and other types of assets and liabilities, and others. It also provides investment banking advice to clients in the insurance and wealth management sectors.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- New Managing Director: Eric Crowley has joined Houlihan Lokey as a Managing Director in the Global Technology Group, focusing on consumer subscription software, consumer technology, and ad-tech sectors, which is expected to enhance the firm's market competitiveness.
- Extensive Industry Experience: With over a decade of investment banking and operational experience, Crowley previously led the Consumer Technology practice at GP Bullhound, advising on high-profile M&A transactions, thereby strengthening the firm's industry influence.
- Global Technology Team Strength: Houlihan Lokey's Technology Group is ranked No. 1 globally in M&A advisory, with nearly 150 finance professionals and over 25 managing directors, showcasing strong industry coverage and resource integration capabilities.
- Achieving Strategic Goals: Crowley expressed excitement about collaborating with the global team to help clients achieve their strategic objectives in a rapidly evolving market, further solidifying Houlihan Lokey's leadership position in technology consulting.
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- Value Leadership: According to GlobalData's latest rankings, Barclays led the financial services M&A advisory in Q1 2026 with $31.4 billion in deal value, showcasing its strong market influence.
- Volume Performance: Houlihan Lokey ranked first by deal count with 15 transactions, maintaining its position from the previous year, reflecting its sustained trust among clients despite no increase in deal volume.
- Competitor Analysis: Morgan Stanley secured the second position with $27.9 billion in advised deals, indicating robust performance in the advisory sector, while Goldman Sachs and Lazard followed closely with $26.8 billion and $25.6 billion respectively, highlighting intense competition.
- Barclays' Significant Growth: Compared to Q1 2025, Barclays experienced a more than seven-fold increase in total deal value, successfully rising from eighth to first place, demonstrating effective strategies in securing large transactions, particularly two mega deals exceeding $10 billion.
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- Earnings Announcement Date: Houlihan Lokey (HLI) is set to release its Q4 earnings on May 6 after market close, with a consensus EPS estimate of $1.79, reflecting an 8.7% year-over-year decline, which may impact investor confidence in the company's future performance.
- Revenue Expectations: The revenue estimate stands at $679.02 million, indicating a modest 1.9% year-over-year growth, which, while limited, demonstrates the company's stability in the market and may attract investors looking for reliable opportunities.
- Historical Performance: HLI has consistently beaten EPS and revenue estimates 100% of the time over the past two years, a track record that could bolster market confidence in its financial health, despite recent downward revisions indicating some pressure on expectations.
- Revision Trends: Over the last three months, EPS estimates have seen one upward revision and eight downward adjustments, while revenue estimates have experienced no upward revisions and seven downward changes, suggesting a weakening outlook for the company's growth potential, which could affect stock performance.
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- M&A Advisory Ranking: According to GlobalData's latest league table, Goldman Sachs emerged as the leading M&A adviser in North America for Q1 2026, advising on transactions worth a total of $189 billion, showcasing its significant market influence.
- Deal Volume Comparison: While Houlihan Lokey led by number of mandates with 56 deals, Goldman Sachs closely followed with 33 deals, indicating its strength in high-value transactions, particularly in large-scale deals.
- Significant Growth Rate: Goldman Sachs experienced a remarkable 60.8% increase in total deal value in Q1 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, which not only improved its ranking by value but also reflected its growing competitiveness in the market.
- Participation in Mega Deals: In this quarter, Goldman Sachs was involved in 18 billion-dollar deals, including five mega deals valued over $10 billion, significantly boosting its performance and reinforcing its position as a top adviser in high-stakes transactions.
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- Market Trend Insights: In the latest Motley Fool Scoreboard episode, expert analysts discuss market trends related to Houlihan Lokey, providing deep insights into potential investment opportunities that help investors navigate market dynamics.
- Investment Opportunity Assessment: The episode highlights potential investment opportunities for Houlihan Lokey in the current economic environment, with analysts noting that understanding market changes is crucial for developing effective investment strategies.
- Rich Video Content: The video, published on April 9, 2026, covers stock prices as of February 11, 2026, ensuring the timeliness and relevance of the information, which aids viewers in making informed investment decisions.
- Expert Analyst Team: The analyst team from Houlihan Lokey shares their professional insights in the episode, emphasizing the importance of a deep understanding of market trends for investment success.
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