BlackRock Inc. Invests $289.61 Million in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm purchased 5,294,589 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $289,614,000. BlackRock Inc. owned 0.15% of Walker & Dunlop at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WD. Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter valued at about $8,532,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $10,454,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter valued at $1,052,000. Walleye Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth about $962,000. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 10.6% during the second quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 10,451 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $572,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on WD shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Citizens Jmp cut their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 1.2%

WD opened at $40.22 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $48.23 and its 200-day moving average is $50.01. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.01 and a 52-week high of $90.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.91 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $306.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 7.25% and a net margin of 2.94%.The company’s revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.15 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is 242.86%.

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.