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

Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) have been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the six research firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, one has issued a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $81.25.

WD has been the topic of several research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ernest Michael Freedman bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $49.21 per share, for a total transaction of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 6,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $300,033.37. This represents a 455.79% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 115.8% during the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 257 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 65.7% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its position in Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 734 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the period. Finally, Huntington National Bank raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 49.6% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 4.4%

Shares of NYSE:WD opened at $48.30 on Monday. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $42.12 and a 12-month high of $90.00. The firm has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 29.45 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $60.75 and a 200 day simple moving average of $70.36.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.46 by ($1.18). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 4.56%.The company had revenue of $340.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.66 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. Walker & Dunlop’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop will post 4.97 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.6%. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently 163.41%.

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.