PJT vs. HLI

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) and Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI).

Performance

PJT vs. HLI - Performance Comparison

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

PJT vs. HLI - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PJT PJT Partners Inc.	-15.65%	6.62%	56.23%	40.00%	0.92%	2.62%	67.34%	17.00%	-14.67%	48.41%
HLI Houlihan Lokey, Inc.	-18.74%	1.64%	47.04%	40.67%	-13.88%	57.04%	40.61%	36.33%	-17.20%	49.30%

Fundamentals

Market Cap PJT : $4.05B HLI : $9.65B
EPS PJT : $4.67 HLI : $6.52
PE Ratio PJT : 30.14 HLI : 21.62
PEG Ratio PJT : 3.85 HLI : 1.74
PS Ratio PJT : 3.17 HLI : 3.66
PB Ratio PJT : 4.36 HLI : 4.21
Total Revenue (TTM) PJT : $1.71B HLI : $2.65B
Gross Profit (TTM) PJT : $908.92M HLI : $1.43B
EBITDA (TTM) PJT : $419.36M HLI : $667.85M

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PJT achieves a -15.65% return, which is significantly higher than HLI's -18.74% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with PJT having a 21.01% annualized return and HLI not far ahead at 21.51%.

PJT

• 1D: 0.77%
• 1M: -4.70%
• YTD: -15.65%
• 6M: -18.70%
• 1Y: 1.26%
• 3Y*: 26.02%
• 5Y*: 17.09%
• 10Y*: 21.01%

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%

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

Return for Risk

PJT vs. HLI — Risk / Return Rank

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

PJT

PJT Risk / Return Rank: 40
PJT Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
PJT Sortino Ratio Rank: 35
PJT Omega Ratio Rank: 35
PJT Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
PJT Martin Ratio Rank: 43

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

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.

PJT vs. HLI - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) 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.

	PJT	HLI	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.04	-0.45	+0.49
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.27	-0.44	+0.72
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.04	0.94	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.08	-0.35	+0.43
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.24	-0.87	+1.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PJT vs. HLI - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PJT Sharpe Ratio is 0.04, which is higher than the HLI Sharpe Ratio of -0.45. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PJT and HLI, 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

	PJT	HLI	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.04	-0.45	+0.49
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	0.63	-0.06
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.62	0.80	-0.18
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.62	0.79	-0.18

Correlation

The correlation between PJT and HLI is 0.60, 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

PJT vs. HLI - Dividend Comparison

PJT's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.71%, less than HLI's 1.70% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PJT PJT Partners Inc.	0.71%	0.60%	0.63%	0.98%	1.36%	4.32%	0.27%	0.44%	0.52%	0.44%	0.65%	0.00%
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%

Drawdowns

PJT vs. HLI - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PJT drawdown since its inception was -58.44%, which is greater than HLI's maximum drawdown of -36.57%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PJT and HLI.

Drawdown Indicators

	PJT	HLI	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-58.44%	-36.57%	-21.87%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-32.47%	-33.13%	+0.66%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-37.80%	-36.57%	-1.23%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-58.44%	-36.57%	-21.87%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-26.33%	-32.10%	+5.77%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-12.80%	-9.25%	-3.55%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	11.48%	13.25%	-1.77%

Volatility

PJT vs. HLI - Volatility Comparison

PJT Partners Inc. (PJT) has a higher volatility of 9.18% compared to Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI) at 8.09%. This indicates that PJT'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.

Volatility by Period

	PJT	HLI	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	9.18%	8.09%	+1.09%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	23.09%	20.30%	+2.79%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.78%	29.11%	+2.67%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	30.17%	27.96%	+2.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	33.75%	26.84%	+6.91%

Financials

PJT vs. HLI - Profitability Comparison

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

PJT - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, PJT Partners Inc. reported a gross profit of 531.72M and revenue of 535.16M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 99.4%.

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%.

PJT - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, PJT Partners Inc. reported an operating income of 122.66M and revenue of 535.16M, resulting in an operating margin of 22.9%.

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%.

PJT - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Apr 2026, PJT Partners Inc. reported a net income of 53.36M and revenue of 535.16M, resulting in a net margin of 10.0%.

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%.