Insider Buying: Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Director Buys $45,780.00 in Stock

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Director Dana Schmaltz bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $45.78 per share, with a total value of $45,780.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 84,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,860,398.50. The trade was a 1.20% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of WD stock opened at $43.78 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $57.78 and a 200 day moving average of $67.62. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1-year low of $42.12 and a 1-year high of $90.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a PE ratio of 26.69 and a beta of 1.57.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $343.66 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. Walker & Dunlop’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.2%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently 165.85%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in Walker & Dunlop by 49.0% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 303,242 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,357,000 after purchasing an additional 99,658 shares during the period. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 34.5% in the 3rd quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 159,641 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $13,349,000 after purchasing an additional 40,907 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 19.8% in the 3rd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 114,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,570,000 after purchasing an additional 18,950 shares during the period. ARGA Investment Management LP lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 151.4% in the 3rd quarter. ARGA Investment Management LP now owns 18,113 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,515,000 after purchasing an additional 10,908 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter valued at about $30,422,000. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on WD. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.25.

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.