Houlihan Lokey (HLI) shares rallied 4.2% in the last trading session to close at $175.31. This move can be attributable to notable volume with a higher number of shares being traded than in a typical session. This compares to the stock's 5.5% loss over the past four weeks.

The upside can be attributed to Houlihan Lokey's competitive strengths that lie in its global presence, serving clients through a credible team of financial professionals. The company is a leader in Corporate Finance, Financial Restructuring and Financial Valuation Advisory services. Its expertise in handling complex transactions, rigorous analytical approach and deep industry specialization set it apart.

Additionally, Houlihan Lokey's independent and conflict-free business model prioritizes client interests, enhancing its reputation. Recently, it announced Riccardo Cazzoli's appointment as managing director in the Consumer Group. HLI’s Consumer Group is globally renowned for excellence in mergers and acquisitions, capital-raising, and valuation advisory services.

This investment banking company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.51 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +23.8%. Revenues are expected to be $592.21 million, up 15.9% from the year-ago quarter.

Earnings and revenue growth expectations certainly give a good sense of the potential strength in a stock, but empirical research shows that trends in earnings estimate revisions are strongly correlated with near-term stock price movements.

For Houlihan Lokey, the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised marginally higher over the last 30 days to the current level. And a positive trend in earnings estimate revision usually translates into price appreciation. So, make sure to keep an eye on HLI going forward to see if this recent jump can turn into more strength down the road.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>>

Houlihan Lokey belongs to the Zacks Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry. Another stock from the same industry, LendingClub (LC), closed the last trading session 5.7% higher at $16.30. Over the past month, LC has returned -13.3%.

For LendingClub , the consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming report has remained unchanged over the past month at $0.10. This represents a change of +11.1% from what the company reported a year ago. LendingClub currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

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