Houlihan Lokey Acquires Audere Partners and Mellum Capital to Expand European Platform
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1h ago
0mins
Source: Businesswire
- Strategic Acquisition: Houlihan Lokey has signed an agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Audere Partners, significantly enhancing its market position in France and establishing itself as a leading mid-cap advisory platform, which is expected to bolster the firm's capabilities in Europe.
- Team Expansion: This transaction will add over 50 finance professionals to Houlihan Lokey, bringing its French team to approximately 80 members, thereby enhancing its ability to support clients across various aspects of capital structure.
- Market Integration: Houlihan Lokey also acquired the real estate capital advisory business of Mellum Capital, which will enhance its consulting capabilities in the European real estate sector, addressing clients' needs for high-quality, tailored advice.
- Future Outlook: The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, with Audere Partners being integrated under the Houlihan Lokey brand, further solidifying its leadership position in the European market and driving continued growth for the company.
Analyst Views on HLI
Wall Street analysts forecast HLI stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for HLI is 215.50 USD with a low forecast of 193.00 USD and a high forecast of 235.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
4 Analyst Rating
3 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 189.780
Low
193.00
Averages
215.50
High
235.00
Current: 189.780
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.
