Wall Street Zen Upgrades Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) to "Hold"

Key Points

• Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from “sell” to “hold,” while broader analyst coverage remains more positive, with five Buy ratings and one Sell rating producing a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $64.
• Walker & Dunlop shares rose 3.4% to $41.64, but remain well below their 12-month high of $90 and below both the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• The company beat quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $1.19 versus $0.90 estimated, though revenue of $306.69 million missed estimates and declined 3.9% year over year; institutional investors own about 81% of the stock.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Saturday.

Several other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on WD. Weiss Ratings cut Walker & Dunlop from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Citizens Jmp dropped their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced 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 report on Friday, August 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Walker & Dunlop presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 3.4%

NYSE:WD traded up $1.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $41.64. The stock had a trading volume of 529,502 shares, compared to its average volume of 473,466. Walker & Dunlop has a twelve month low of $39.01 and a twelve month high of $90.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $49.79. The company has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a PE ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $306.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 7.25%. The company's quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.15 EPS.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 107.9% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 301 shares during the period. Essential Partners LLC grew its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 709.1% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 623 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter valued at about $35,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% during 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, Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth about $51,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company's stock.

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.

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