** Shares of investment manager Hamilton Lane HLNE.O rise 4.5% to $156.99

** Oppenheimer upgrades HLNE to "outperform" from "perform"; assigns PT of $186, a 23.8% upside to stock's last close

** Brokerage says there is much to like about the prospects of HLNE for the next year, or two

** Brokerage adds that alternative asset managers have many mature investments that are primed for monetization and that short rates appear to have peaked

** Oppenheimer also notes that public equity markets are buoyant, and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission should be more open to consolidation in the industry

** One of seven brokerages rate the stock "strong buy", five "hold" and one as "sell"; their median PT is $163, according to data compiled by LSEG

** HLNE stock jumped 30.5% in 2024

(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)

((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))