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Houlihan LokeySTU:2HL -2.02%83 Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Aug. 14, 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 7.00. GuruFocus rates STU:2HL with a GF Score™ of 83/100 and a GF Value™ of €153.86 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 3 warning signs investors should review. Among 785 Capital Markets companies, Houlihan Lokey ranks better than 92.87% on this metric.
Good Sign:
Piotroski F-Score is 7, indicates a very healthy situation.
The zones of discrimination were as such:
Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Houlihan Lokey has an F-score of 6 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.
The historical rank and industry rank for Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score or its related term are showing as below:
STU:2HL'
s Piotroski F-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1 Med: 7 Max: 9
Current: 7
During the past 13 years, the highest Piotroski F-Score of Houlihan Lokey was 9. The lowest was 1. And the median was 7.
The developer of the system is Joseph D. Piotroski is relatively unknown accounting professor who shuns publicity and rarely gives interviews.
He graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.S. in accounting in 1989, received an M.B.A. from Indiana University in 1994. Five years later, in 1999, after earning a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Michigan, he became an associate professor of accounting at the University of Chicago.
He wanted to see if he can develop a system (using a simple nine-point scoring system) that can increase the returns of a strategy of investing in low price to book (referred to in the paper as high book to market) value companies.
What he found was something that exceeded his most optimistic expectations.
Buying only those companies that scored highest (8 or 9) on his nine-point scale, or F-Score as he called it, over the 20 year period from 1976 to 1996 led to an average out-performance over the market of 13.4%.
Even more impressive were the results of a strategy of investing in the highest F-Score companies (8 or 9) and shorting companies with the lowest F-Score (0 or 1).
Over the same period from 1976 to 1996 (20 years) this strategy led to an average yearly return of 23%, substantially outperforming the average S&P 500 index return of 15.83% over the same period.
Houlihan Lokey Piotroski F-Score Related Terms
Houlihan Lokey Piotroski F-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
STU:2HL vs BMNR, WULF, SNEX: Piotroski F-Score Comparison
For the Capital Markets subindustry, Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Piotroski F-Score data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Houlihan Lokey Piotroski F-Score vs Capital Markets Industry
For the Capital Markets industry and Financial Services sector, Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
*Note: If the latest quarterly/semi-annual/annual total assets data is 0, then we will use previous quarterly/semi-annual/annual data for all the items in the balance sheet.
Profitability
Question 1. Return on Assets (ROA)
Net income before extraordinary items for the year divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Score 1 if positive, 0 if negative.
Houlihan Lokey's current Net Income (TTM) was 349.
==> Positive ==> Score 1.
Question 2. Cash Flow Return on Assets (CFROA)
Net cash flow from operating activities (operating cash flow) divided by Total Assets at the beginning of the year.
Houlihan Lokey's return on assets of this year was 0.11437293. Houlihan Lokey's return on assets of last year was 0.13644741.
==> Last year is higher ==> Score 0.
Question 4. Quality of Earnings (Accrual)
Compare Cash flow return on assets (2) to return on assets (1)
Houlihan Lokey's gearing of this year was 0.1289124. Houlihan Lokey's gearing of last year was 0.12291696.
==> Last year is lower than this year ==> Score 0.
Question 6. Change in Working Capital (Liquidity)
Compare this year's current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities) to last year's current ratio.
Score 1 if this year's current ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Houlihan Lokey's current ratio of this year was 1.72151899. Houlihan Lokey's current ratio of last year was 1.55870903.
==> This year's current ratio is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 7. Change in Shares in Issue
Compare the number of shares in issue this year, to the number in issue last year.
Score 0 if there is larger number of shares in issue this year, 1 otherwise.
Houlihan Lokey's number of shares in issue this year was 67.6. Houlihan Lokey's number of shares in issue last year was 68.9.
==> There is smaller number of shares in issue this year, or the same. ==> Score 1.
Efficiency
Question 8. Change in Gross Margin
Compare this year's gross margin (Gross Profit divided by sales) to last year's.
Score 1 if this year's gross margin is higher, 0 if it's lower.
Houlihan Lokey's gross margin of this year was 0.38510692. Houlihan Lokey's gross margin of last year was 0.38502885.
==> This year's gross margin is higher. ==> Score 1.
Question 9. Change in asset turnover
Compare this year's asset turnover (total sales for the year divided by total assets at the beginning of the year) to last year's asset turnover ratio.
Score 1 if this year's asset turnover ratio is higher, 0 if it's lower
Houlihan Lokey's asset turnover of this year was 0.71070728. Houlihan Lokey's asset turnover of last year was 0.82842563.
==> Last year's asset turnover is higher ==> Score 0.
Evaluation
Piotroski F-Score
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Good or high score = 7, 8, 9
Bad or low score = 0, 1, 2, 3
Houlihan Lokey has an F-score of 6 indicating the company's financial situation is typical for a stable company.
Houlihan Lokey (STU:2HL) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7 as of Aug. 14, 2026. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Houlihan Lokey and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 7.00. Over the past decade, Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 1.00 to 9.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Houlihan Lokey ranks #56 out of 785 companies in the Capital Markets industry, placing it in the top 7.1%.
Is Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score too high?
Houlihan Lokey's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is near median its 10-year median of 7.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.00 to a high of 9.00. The Capital Markets industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Houlihan Lokey's value of 7 is 40% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Houlihan Lokey ranks #56 out of 785 companies in the Capital Markets industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, Houlihan Lokey has a GF Score™ of 83/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Houlihan Lokey's Piotroski F-Score compare to BMNR and WULF?
According to the Capital Markets industry distribution chart, Houlihan Lokey ranks #56 out of 785 companies for Piotroski F-Score. This places Houlihan Lokey in the top 7% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00. Houlihan Lokey's value of 7 is 40% above this benchmark. Historically, Houlihan Lokey's own Piotroski F-Score has ranged from 1.00 to 9.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 7.00 vs. the industry median of 5.00, Houlihan Lokey has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Piotroski F-Score for a Capital Markets company?
The median Piotroski F-Score among Capital Markets companies is 5.00, based on 785 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Piotroski F-Score significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Piotroski F-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Houlihan Lokey's current Piotroski F-Score of 7 is 40% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Piotroski F-Score mean?
A high Piotroski F-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Piotroski F-score grades a company's business operating strength from 0-9. View historical data on Houlihan Lokey and its competitors. For the Capital Markets industry, the median Piotroski F-Score is 5.00 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Houlihan Lokey's current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is near median its own 10-year median of 7.00. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Houlihan Lokey stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Houlihan Lokey (STU:2HL) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €153.86, compared to a current price of €111.50 — trading 27.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Piotroski F-Score is 7, which is near median its 10-year median of 7.00 and 40% above the Capital Markets industry median of 5.00. Houlihan Lokey's overall GF Score™ is 83/100 with 3 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Piotroski F-Score calculated?
Piotroski F-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Houlihan Lokey (STU:2HL), the current Piotroski F-Score is 7 as of Aug. 14, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Houlihan Lokey (STU:2HL) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Houlihan Lokey stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €111.50 is trading 27.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of €153.86.
GuruFocus considers Houlihan Lokey to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for STU:2HL:
Piotroski F-Score: 7 (near median its 10-year median of 7.00)
GF Value™: €153.86 vs. price of €111.50 (27.5% below fair value)
Industry Position: 40% above the Capital Markets median (#56 of 785)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:2HL stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Houlihan Lokey Inc is an investment bank with expertise in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, financial restructuring, valuation, and strategic consulting. The firm serves corporations, institutions, and governments world-wide with offices in the United States, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The company operates in three segments. In the Corporate Finance business segment, it provides M&A and capital markets advisory services. Through the Financial Restructuring business segment, the company advises on some of the complex restructurings around the world. The Financial and Valuation Advisory Services business segment provides valuation and financial opinion, and financial and strategic consulting practices in the United States.
83GF Score
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Piotroski F-Score is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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