Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the six ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $81.25.

A number of research firms recently commented on WD. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 5th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walker & Dunlop news, Director Ernest Michael Freedman purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $49.21 per share, with a total value of $246,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 6,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $300,033.37. The trade was a 455.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 49.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 303,242 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $25,357,000 after buying an additional 99,658 shares during the period. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 34.5% during the third quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 159,641 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $13,349,000 after acquiring an additional 40,907 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 114,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,570,000 after acquiring an additional 18,950 shares in the last quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 151.4% in the 3rd quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 18,113 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,515,000 after acquiring an additional 10,908 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $30,422,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 4.4%

WD stock opened at $48.30 on Monday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $70.36. The company has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.45 and a beta of 1.57. Walker & Dunlop has a fifty-two week low of $42.12 and a fifty-two week high of $90.00.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.46 by ($1.18). The company had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $343.66 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 4.56% and a return on equity of 6.81%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 163.41%.

Walker & Dunlop Company Profile

Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest providers of commercial real estate finance in the United States, specializing in the origination, servicing and sale of loans secured by multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, student housing and manufactured housing properties. The firm offers a full suite of debt and equity solutions, including agency financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, HUD and FHA-insured loans, bridge and construction financing, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and investment sales advisory.

With roots dating back to 1937 and its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, Walker & Dunlop has expanded its platform through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.