Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Director Buys $246,050.00 in Stock

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Director Ernest Michael Freedman acquired 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $49.21 per share, with a total value of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $300,033.37. This trade represents a 455.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock traded down $2.21 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $48.30. 403,501 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 313,473. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.45 and a beta of 1.57. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $42.12 and a fifty-two week high of $90.00. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $61.00 and its 200-day moving average is $70.81.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.66 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.6%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 163.41%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on WD shares. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective 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. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $81.25.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

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

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.