Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Shares Bought by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 486,093 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 54,344 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP’s holdings in Walker & Dunlop were worth $40,647,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 41.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $699,000 after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 17.5% during the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,632,000 after buying an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 7.5% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 107,730 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,196,000 after buying an additional 7,470 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,136.3% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 62,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,335,000 after buying an additional 57,442 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walker & Dunlop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.68 (1.5% increase), implying a ~5.7% yield — supports income investors and can underpin the share base.
• Positive Sentiment: Management provided 2026 EPS guidance of $3.50–$4.00 and said it will accelerate asset sales to shore up earnings and pursue market‑share growth; this signals a path to restore profitability (may be seen as constructive if execution follows). Walker & Dunlop outlines $3.50–$4.00 EPS guidance
• Neutral Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut its price target from $80 to $65 but kept an “outperform” rating — still signals upside vs. current levels, though the lower target reduces near‑term analyst support. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Conference call and transcript / slide deck are available for investors to assess management’s explanation of the quarter and details on asset sales and capital allocation. Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 EPS missed heavily: reported $0.28 vs. consensus ~$1.46 (a ~$1.18 shortfall); revenue of $340.0M slightly missed estimates — the large EPS miss is the primary catalyst for the decline and raises near‑term execution concerns. MarketBeat earnings summary
• Negative Sentiment: Market commentary notes shares are falling on the results; the stock is trading well below its 50‑day and 200‑day moving averages and nearer its one‑year low, which can amplify downside while investors reassess valuation and the timing of asset sales. Why Walker & Dunlop Shares Are Falling Today

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price target for the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.25.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

WD opened at $45.88 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.56 billion, a PE ratio of 27.97 and a beta of 1.55. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a one year low of $42.12 and a one year high of $90.00. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $61.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $71.69.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.46 by ($1.18). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 6.80% and a net margin of 4.56%.The business had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $343.66 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. Walker & Dunlop’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.68 dividend. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.9%. Walker & Dunlop’s 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.