Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Cuts Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Price Target to $80.00

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) had its target price decreased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $82.00 to $80.00 in a report issued on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on WD. JMP Securities set a $95.00 price target on Walker & Dunlop and gave the stock a “market outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Citizens Jmp upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $95.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, October 10th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Walker & Dunlop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $87.00.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 4.0%

WD opened at $64.88 on Thursday. Walker & Dunlop has a 1-year low of $58.60 and a 1-year high of $97.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.21 billion, a PE ratio of 19.25 and a beta of 1.56. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $63.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $74.77.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.21 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $337.68 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $325.10 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 8.85% and a net margin of 9.31%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 15.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.19 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 21st. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.1%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.53%.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 632.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 49,604 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,984,000 after purchasing an additional 42,835 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 17.1% in the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,869 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $360,000 after purchasing an additional 859 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 49.0% during the 3rd 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 in the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 3rd quarter worth $294,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 5.2% in the third quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 36,573 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,037,000 after buying an additional 1,824 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.