HLI vs. JEF

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF).

Performance

HLI vs. JEF - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HLI vs. JEF - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HLI Houlihan Lokey, Inc.	-18.74%	1.64%	47.04%	40.67%	-13.88%	57.04%	40.61%	36.33%	-17.20%	49.30%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.	-32.76%	-18.78%	98.84%	27.74%	-8.46%	61.95%	19.00%	44.18%	-33.15%	15.42%

Fundamentals

EPS HLI : $6.52 JEF : $4.33
PE Ratio HLI : 21.62 JEF : 9.55
PEG Ratio HLI : 1.74 JEF : 0.69
PS Ratio HLI : 3.66 JEF : 0.61
Total Revenue (TTM) HLI : $2.65B JEF : $11.22B
Gross Profit (TTM) HLI : $1.43B JEF : $6.66B
EBITDA (TTM) HLI : $667.85M JEF : $1.12B

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HLI achieves a -18.74% return, which is significantly higher than JEF's -32.76% return. Over the past 10 years, HLI has outperformed JEF with an annualized return of 21.51%, while JEF has yielded a comparatively lower 14.69% annualized return.

HLI

• 1D: -1.80%
• 1M: -13.82%
• YTD: -18.74%
• 6M: -29.24%
• 1Y: -12.89%
• 3Y*: 19.17%
• 5Y*: 17.62%
• 10Y*: 21.51%

JEF

• 1D: 0.22%
• 1M: -9.24%
• YTD: -32.76%
• 6M: -33.89%
• 1Y: -20.48%
• 3Y*: 12.44%
• 5Y*: 10.57%
• 10Y*: 14.69%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

HLI vs. JEF — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HLI

HLI Risk / Return Rank: 23
HLI Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
HLI Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
HLI Omega Ratio Rank: 19
HLI Calmar Ratio Rank: 30
HLI Martin Ratio Rank: 26

JEF

JEF Risk / Return Rank: 23
JEF Sharpe Ratio Rank: 22
JEF Sortino Ratio Rank: 22
JEF Omega Ratio Rank: 22
JEF Calmar Ratio Rank: 27
JEF Martin Ratio Rank: 20

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HLI vs. JEF - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	HLI	JEF	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.45	-0.43	-0.02
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.44	-0.30	-0.14
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.94	0.96	-0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.35	-0.43	+0.08
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.87	-1.10	+0.24
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HLI vs. JEF - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HLI Sharpe Ratio is -0.45, which is comparable to the JEF Sharpe Ratio of -0.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HLI and JEF, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HLI	JEF	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.45	-0.43	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.63	0.30	+0.34
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.80	0.42	+0.38
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.79	0.42	+0.37

Correlation

The correlation between HLI and JEF is 0.54, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

HLI vs. JEF - Dividend Comparison

HLI's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.70%, less than JEF's 3.87% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HLI Houlihan Lokey, Inc.	1.70%	1.36%	1.30%	1.82%	2.32%	1.56%	1.90%	2.46%	2.74%	1.76%	2.12%	0.57%
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc.	3.87%	2.58%	1.66%	2.97%	3.50%	2.32%	2.44%	8.07%	2.59%	1.23%	1.08%	1.44%

Drawdowns

HLI vs. JEF - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HLI drawdown since its inception was -36.57%, smaller than the maximum JEF drawdown of -80.74%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HLI and JEF.

Drawdown Indicators

	HLI	JEF	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-36.57%	-80.74%	+44.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-33.13%	-48.05%	+14.92%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-36.57%	-54.39%	+17.82%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-36.57%	-54.39%	+17.82%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-32.10%	-47.62%	+15.52%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-9.25%	-25.48%	+16.23%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	13.25%	18.62%	-5.37%

Volatility

HLI vs. JEF - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) is 8.09%, while Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) has a volatility of 18.40%. This indicates that HLI experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than JEF based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HLI	JEF	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	8.09%	18.40%	-10.31%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	20.30%	35.51%	-15.21%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	29.11%	48.27%	-19.16%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	27.96%	35.84%	-7.88%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	26.84%	34.95%	-8.11%

Financials

HLI vs. JEF - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Houlihan Lokey, Inc. and Jefferies Financial Group Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

HLI - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported a gross profit of 717.07M and revenue of 717.07M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 100.0%.

JEF - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.68B and revenue of 2.87B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 58.5%.

HLI - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported an operating income of 160.73M and revenue of 717.07M, resulting in an operating margin of 22.4%.

JEF - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported an operating income of 0.00 and revenue of 2.87B, resulting in an operating margin of 0.0%.

HLI - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported a net income of 116.55M and revenue of 717.07M, resulting in a net margin of 16.3%.

JEF - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, Jefferies Financial Group Inc. reported a net income of 155.70M and revenue of 2.87B, resulting in a net margin of 5.4%.