Heartland Advisors Inc. Acquires New Stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Heartland Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 50,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,181,000. Heartland Advisors Inc. owned 0.15% of Walker & Dunlop as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 41.4% in the 1st 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 during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 17.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 4.5% in 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 acquiring an additional 823 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 7.5% during the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 7,470 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,136.3% during the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 62,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,335,000 after acquiring an additional 57,442 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 0.7%

WD opened at $62.29 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a PE ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 1.55. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $62.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $72.77. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $58.60 and a 52 week high of $90.00.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $82.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. 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 began coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Walker & Dunlop has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $85.00.

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.