Houlihan Lokey Snaps Up London Advisory Firm Behind Major Beauty Deals

Houlihan Lokey Inc. (NYSE:HLI) said Wednesday it agreed to acquire London-based advisory firm Vicente & Partners, expanding its investment banking capabilities in beauty, personal care and pet health.

The companies signed the agreement Oct. 30. The acquisition will strengthen Houlihan Lokey’s consumer advisory business across Europe and the United States.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As of Sept. 30, 2026, Houlihan Lokey held $888 million in cash, cash equivalents and investment securities.

Acquisition Adds Nine Financial Professionals

Founded in London in 2020, Vicente & Partners specializes in mergers and acquisitions in the consumer sector.

Founder Alejandro Vicente, a former global head of consumer goods investment banking at JPMorgan, brings more than 30 years of industry experience.

He spent 17 years at JPMorgan and eight years in senior corporate roles.

Vicente will join Houlihan Lokey as a managing director, alongside partners Lidiia Gaiduk and Michelle Garcia.

In total, nine financial professionals will join the investment bank’s London office.

Deal Expands Consumer Advisory Expertise

Vicente & Partners has advised on several major consumer transactions.

These include Touchland’s sale to Church & Dwight, Kering’s acquisition of luxury fragrance brand Creed and Coty’s $4.3 billion sale of its professional and retail hair business to KKR.

The firm has also advised on multiple pet health business sales.

Jay Novak, Houlihan Lokey’s global co-head of corporate finance, said the acquisition will combine specialized industry knowledge with the bank’s capital markets expertise and international reach.

Vicente said joining Houlihan Lokey will allow his team to offer clients broader services while maintaining its independent and discreet advisory approach.

Meanwhile, Alexander Grünwald, global co-head of Houlihan Lokey’s Consumer Group, said the addition will strengthen the firm’s existing beauty, personal care and pet health operations.

Recent Earnings

On Oct. 28, Houlihan Lokey reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $1.85 per share, beating the $1.66 analyst estimate. Revenue reached $692 million, topping expectations of $620.68 million.

HLI Price Action: Houlihan Lokey shares were down 0.02% at $148.00 during premarket trading on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

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