Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Upgraded to Hold by StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Sunday.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on WD. Wedbush boosted their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $95.00 to $105.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 2.4 %

Shares of WD traded down $2.43 during trading on Friday, reaching $100.21. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 52,176 shares, compared to its average volume of 217,076. The company has a market cap of $3.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.46 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a fifty day moving average of $99.12 and a two-hundred day moving average of $96.56. Walker & Dunlop has a twelve month low of $62.51 and a twelve month high of $113.67.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $270.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $274.50 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 9.65%. The firm’s revenue was down .7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.98 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop will post 5.27 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 6th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 22nd will be issued a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 22nd. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.89%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Insight Folios Inc boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. Insight Folios Inc now owns 7,043 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $712,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI grew its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 205.6% during the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the period. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 9.5% in the second quarter. Sage Mountain Advisors LLC now owns 2,190 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $215,000 after acquiring an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 11.0% in the 1st quarter. Venturi Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,025 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $205,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 0.3% during the 1st quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 66,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $6,670,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by 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.