First Trust Advisors LP Grows Position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) by 131.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 72,429 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after buying an additional 41,085 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.21% of Walker & Dunlop worth $3,214,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 59.9% during the fourth quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 859,072 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $51,673,000 after purchasing an additional 321,734 shares during the period. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,401.9% in the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 68,846 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,141,000 after purchasing an additional 64,262 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 545,558 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $32,815,000 after purchasing an additional 59,465 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,369,114 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $60,760,000 after purchasing an additional 104,008 shares during the period. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 23.3% in the 1st quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 121,602 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,397,000 after purchasing an additional 23,010 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 13.9%

NYSE WD opened at $44.24 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $50.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $52.20. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $41.38 and a 52 week high of $90.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.90 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $306.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 7.18% and a net margin of 5.29%.The firm’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.15 EPS.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.1%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is currently 134.65%.

More Walker & Dunlop News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Walker & Dunlop reported second-quarter EPS of $1.19, surpassing the analyst consensus of $0.90 and increasing from $1.15 in the year-ago quarter. The earnings beat indicates better-than-expected profitability for the period. Walker & Dunlop Q2 Earnings Snapshot
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, payable September 3 to shareholders of record on August 20. The dividend supports the stock’s income appeal, with an indicated annualized yield of approximately 6.1%. Walker & Dunlop dividend and stock information
• Neutral Sentiment: Management discussed global markets, policy trends and leadership matters during the earnings call. Investors are likely focusing on management’s commentary for indications of future transaction activity and operating conditions. Walker & Dunlop Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue was $306.69 million, missing the $337.37 million consensus estimate by roughly 9% and falling 3.9% year over year. The sales shortfall outweighed the EPS beat for investors because it points to softer business volume and limits confidence in near-term growth. Walker Dunlop misses Q2 sales expectations

Analyst Ratings Changes

WD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Stephens started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 price target on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $79.20.

Walker & Dunlop 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.