Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Upgraded at Stephens

Stephens upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on WD. Weiss Ratings cut Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $78.80.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 3.6%

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $51.44 on Thursday. Walker & Dunlop has a 12 month low of $42.12 and a 12 month high of $90.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.36 and a beta of 1.53. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $49.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.09.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (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 firm had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.66 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 165.85%.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In related news, Director Ernest Michael Freedman purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was acquired 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 in the company, valued at approximately $300,033.37. This represents a 455.79% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Dana L. Schmaltz purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $45.78 per share, with a total value of $45,780.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 84,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,860,398.50. This trade represents a 1.20% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 4.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1.4% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,055 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $841,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 65.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 3.1% during the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 6,425 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 49.6% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Alaska Department of Revenue raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 18,787 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,129,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.