Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Receives Neutral Rating from Wedbush

Wedbush reissued their neutral rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) in a research note published on Friday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $95.00 target price on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reaffirmed a market perform rating and set a $105.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 1.1 %

WD traded up $1.00 during trading on Friday, hitting $95.23. 283,147 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 213,456. Walker & Dunlop has a fifty-two week low of $61.06 and a fifty-two week high of $113.67. The stock has a market cap of $3.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.81 and a beta of 1.54. The business’s 50 day moving average is $93.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $91.41.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.36. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.16% and a net margin of 8.87%. The business had revenue of $228.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $251.82 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.17 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop will post 4.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 16th will be paid a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, May 15th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is 94.89%.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In related news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 1,908 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total transaction of $179,523.72. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 3,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $348,791.63. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Howard W. Smith III sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.81, for a total value of $1,876,200.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 191,508 shares in the company, valued at $17,965,365.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 1,908 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total value of $179,523.72. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 3,707 shares in the company, valued at approximately $348,791.63. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 46,074 shares of company stock worth $4,328,255. Corporate insiders own 5.47% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Planned Solutions Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter valued at $34,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 163.6% during the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Strs Ohio raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 133.3% in the 3rd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 700 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop, Inc, through its subsidiaries, originates, sells, and services a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products and services for owners and developers of real estate in the United States. It operates through three segments: Capital Markets, Servicing & Asset Management, and Corporate.