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HLI to Acquire Vicente & Partners to Expand Consumer Advisory
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Key Takeaways
HLI agrees to acquire Vicente & Partners to expand consumer M&A advisory in Europe and the United States.
Nine Vicente & Partners professionals will join HLI's London office, bringing consumer M&A expertise.
HLI's Corporate Finance revenues rose 9.6% to $481 million in the fiscal second quarter, supporting expansion.
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI - Free Report) has agreed to acquire Vicente & Partners, an independent financial advisory firm specializing in the beauty, personal care and pet health industries. The transaction, signed on Oct. 30, 2026, is expected to strengthen HLI's consumer advisory capabilities across Europe and the United States. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Founded in 2020, Vicente & Partners brings expertise in consumer-focused mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Nine professionals, including founder Alejandro Vicente and partners Lidiia Gaiduk and Michelle Garcia, will join HLI's London office. The team has advised on prominent transactions, including Kering's acquisition of Creed and Coty's $4.3 billion divestiture of its Professional and Retail Hair business to KKR.
The acquisition complements Houlihan Lokey's existing Consumer Group, which has more than 140 industry-focused professionals worldwide and offers M&A advisory, capital raising, restructuring, financial and valuation services. The addition will deepen HLI's existing expertise in beauty, personal care and pet health, strengthening its ability to serve clients across these specialized consumer markets. This broader reach could help HLI pursue a larger range of transactions across consumer subsectors and geographies.
In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, HLI’s total revenues increased 4.8% year over year to $692 million. Corporate Finance revenues rose 9.6% year over year to $481 million, while Financial and Valuation Advisory revenues grew 6.9%. Growth in its core advisory business provides a favorable backdrop for expanding its consumer investment banking capabilities.
The deal could strengthen HLI's competitive position in consumer M&A by combining specialized industry knowledge with its global advisory network. Vicente & Partners' established relationships with consumer brands, corporate buyers and financial sponsors could help HLI secure more cross-border mandates and expand its client base. The broader platform could also create opportunities to provide additional services, including capital raising and valuation advice, supporting revenue diversification and longer-term growth.
HLI’s Price Performance
Over the past three months, HLI’s shares have risen 10.6% against the industry’s decline of 9.7%.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Oportun Financial’s current-year earnings is pinned at $1.65 per share and has witnessed one upward revision in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. OPRT beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and met once, with the average surprise being 11.1%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $958.7 million, implying 0.2% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Assurant’s current-year earnings is pinned at $23.68 per share and has witnessed four upward revisions in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. AIZ beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 17.5%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $14.1 billion, implying 9.6% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Encore Capital’s current-year earnings is pinned at $16.11 per share and has witnessed three upward revisions in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. ECPG beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 31.1%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $2 billion, implying 13.2% year-over-year growth.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
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HLI to Acquire Vicente & Partners to Expand Consumer Advisory
Key Takeaways
Houlihan Lokey, Inc. (HLI - Free Report) has agreed to acquire Vicente & Partners, an independent financial advisory firm specializing in the beauty, personal care and pet health industries. The transaction, signed on Oct. 30, 2026, is expected to strengthen HLI's consumer advisory capabilities across Europe and the United States. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Founded in 2020, Vicente & Partners brings expertise in consumer-focused mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Nine professionals, including founder Alejandro Vicente and partners Lidiia Gaiduk and Michelle Garcia, will join HLI's London office. The team has advised on prominent transactions, including Kering's acquisition of Creed and Coty's $4.3 billion divestiture of its Professional and Retail Hair business to KKR.
The acquisition complements Houlihan Lokey's existing Consumer Group, which has more than 140 industry-focused professionals worldwide and offers M&A advisory, capital raising, restructuring, financial and valuation services. The addition will deepen HLI's existing expertise in beauty, personal care and pet health, strengthening its ability to serve clients across these specialized consumer markets. This broader reach could help HLI pursue a larger range of transactions across consumer subsectors and geographies.
In the second quarter of fiscal 2027, HLI’s total revenues increased 4.8% year over year to $692 million. Corporate Finance revenues rose 9.6% year over year to $481 million, while Financial and Valuation Advisory revenues grew 6.9%. Growth in its core advisory business provides a favorable backdrop for expanding its consumer investment banking capabilities.
The deal could strengthen HLI's competitive position in consumer M&A by combining specialized industry knowledge with its global advisory network. Vicente & Partners' established relationships with consumer brands, corporate buyers and financial sponsors could help HLI secure more cross-border mandates and expand its client base. The broader platform could also create opportunities to provide additional services, including capital raising and valuation advice, supporting revenue diversification and longer-term growth.
HLI’s Price Performance
Over the past three months, HLI’s shares have risen 10.6% against the industry’s decline of 9.7%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
HLI’s Zacks Rank & Key Picks
HLI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader finance space are Oportun Financial Corporation (OPRT - Free Report) , Assurant, Inc. (AIZ - Free Report) and Encore Capital Group, Inc. (ECPG - Free Report) , each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Oportun Financial’s current-year earnings is pinned at $1.65 per share and has witnessed one upward revision in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. OPRT beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and met once, with the average surprise being 11.1%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $958.7 million, implying 0.2% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Assurant’s current-year earnings is pinned at $23.68 per share and has witnessed four upward revisions in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. AIZ beat earnings estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 17.5%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $14.1 billion, implying 9.6% year-over-year growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Encore Capital’s current-year earnings is pinned at $16.11 per share and has witnessed three upward revisions in the past seven days against no movement in the opposite direction. ECPG beat earnings estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed once, with the average surprise being 31.1%. The consensus estimate for current-year revenues is pegged at $2 billion, implying 13.2% year-over-year growth.