JEF vs. HLI
JEF (Jefferies Financial Group Inc.) and HLI (Houlihan Lokey, Inc.) are both stocks. Both are in the Financial Services sector — JEF in Financial Conglomerates, HLI in Capital Markets. Over the past 10 years, JEF returned 17.89%/yr vs 21.57%/yr for HLI. A 0.53 correlation means they provide meaningful diversification when combined.
Performance
JEF vs. HLI - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, JEF achieves a -5.14% return, which is significantly higher than HLI's -20.61% return. Over the past 10 years, JEF has underperformed HLI with an annualized return of 17.89%, while HLI has yielded a comparatively higher 21.57% annualized return.
JEF
- 1D
- 3.97%
- 1M
- 10.13%
- YTD
- -5.14%
- 6M
- -0.43%
- 1Y
- 13.73%
- 3Y*
- 25.68%
- 5Y*
- 17.11%
- 10Y*
- 17.89%
HLI
- 1D
- -1.54%
- 1M
- -9.87%
- YTD
- -20.61%
- 6M
- -21.92%
- 1Y
- -21.42%
- 3Y*
- 16.12%
- 5Y*
- 14.31%
- 10Y*
- 21.57%
JEF vs. HLI - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JEF Jefferies Financial Group Inc. | -5.14% | -18.78% | 98.84% | 27.74% | -8.46% | 61.95% | 19.00% | 44.18% | -33.15% | 15.42% |
HLI Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | -20.61% | 1.64% | 47.04% | 40.67% | -13.88% | 57.04% | 40.61% | 36.33% | -17.20% | 49.30% |
Correlation
The correlation between JEF and HLI is 0.58, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.58 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.65 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.65 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.56 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 14, 2015 | 0.53 |
The correlation between JEF and HLI shifts across timeframes, from 0.53 (all time) to 0.65 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
JEF:
$4.87
HLI:
$6.22
JEF:
11.90
HLI:
22.06
JEF:
0.86
HLI:
6.82
JEF:
0.77
HLI:
3.59
JEF:
$11.22B
HLI:
$2.62B
JEF:
$6.66B
HLI:
$1.37B
JEF:
$1.12B
HLI:
$636.63M
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Return for Risk
JEF vs. HLI — Risk / Return Rank
JEF
HLI
JEF vs. HLI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) and Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI). 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.
| JEF | HLI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.18 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +1.72 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.10 | 0.87 | +0.23 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.29 | -0.64 | +0.93 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.64 | -1.22 | +1.86 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| JEF | HLI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.34 | -0.84 | +1.18 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.48 | 0.52 | -0.04 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.51 | 0.81 | -0.29 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.45 | 0.77 | -0.32 |
Drawdowns
JEF vs. HLI - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum JEF drawdown since its inception was -80.74%, which is greater than HLI's maximum drawdown of -36.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for JEF and HLI.
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Drawdown Indicators
| JEF | HLI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -80.74% | -36.57% | -44.17% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -48.05% | -33.67% | -14.38% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -54.39% | -33.67% | -20.72% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -54.39% | -36.57% | -17.82% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -54.39% | -36.57% | -17.82% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -26.11% | -33.67% | +7.56% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -25.53% | -9.56% | -15.97% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 21.39% | 17.58% | +3.81% |
Volatility
JEF vs. HLI - Volatility Comparison
Jefferies Financial Group Inc. (JEF) has a higher volatility of 8.05% compared to Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) at 6.97%. This indicates that JEF's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than HLI based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| JEF | HLI | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 8.05% | 6.97% | +1.08% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 30.53% | 18.86% | +11.67% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 40.68% | 25.72% | +14.96% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 35.94% | 27.93% | +8.01% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 35.01% | 26.86% | +8.15% |
Dividends
JEF vs. HLI - Dividend Comparison
JEF's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.76%, more than HLI's 1.82% yield.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HLI Houlihan Lokey, Inc. | 1.82% | 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. | 2.76% | 2.58% | 1.66% | 2.97% | 3.50% | 2.32% | 2.44% | 8.07% | 2.59% | 1.23% | 1.08% | 1.44% |
Financials
JEF vs. HLI - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Jefferies Financial Group Inc. and Houlihan Lokey, Inc.. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
JEF vs. HLI - Profitability Comparison
JEF - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported a gross profit of 201.88M and revenue of 635.64M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 31.8%.
JEF - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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 - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported an operating income of 125.15M and revenue of 635.64M, resulting in an operating margin of 19.7%.
JEF - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 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%.
HLI - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Houlihan Lokey, Inc. reported a net income of 99.84M and revenue of 635.64M, resulting in a net margin of 15.7%.
Frequently Asked Questions
JEF and HLI have a correlation of 0.58, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
JEF has higher volatility (8.05%) compared to HLI (6.97%). In terms of maximum drawdown, JEF dropped -80.74% vs HLI's -36.57%.
JEF currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.34 vs -0.84), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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