Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Stock: Insider Gary Pinkus Acquires 4,850 Shares

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Director Gary Pinkus bought 4,850 shares of Walker & Dunlop stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 9th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $41.35 per share, with a total value of $200,547.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,850 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $200,547.50. The trade was a ? increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 3.6%

Shares of NYSE WD traded down $1.51 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $39.98. 624,704 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 393,582. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.40 and a 1 year high of $69.19. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.66 and a 200 day simple moving average of $47.26. The stock has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a P/E ratio of -39.58 and a beta of 1.48.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The financial services provider reported $0.92 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $298.45 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $310.93 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 7.25%. The firm’s revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.22 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 20th will be issued a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.8%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently -269.31%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on WD shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $45.00 to $43.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 3rd. Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, October 16th. Citizens Jmp dropped their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $59.25.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 107.9% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 223.8% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 489 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 338 shares during the last quarter. Essential Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 709.1% during the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 108.2% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,070 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 556 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. is a commercial real estate finance and advisory firm focused primarily on multifamily properties. It arranges debt and equity financing, provides investment sales and property valuation services, and offers capital markets and investment management services to property owners and investors. The company works with government-sponsored housing finance agencies, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as the Federal Housing Administration, to provide financing options. Its services also include loan servicing and financing for other types of commercial real estate.