Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (WD) - What Are Researchers Saying About This Stock?

Key Points

• Analyst sentiment is “Moderate Buy”: Five of six covering analysts rate Walker & Dunlop a buy, while one rates it a sell. The average 12-month price target is $59.25, though several analysts recently cut their targets.
• Quarterly results fell short of expectations: Walker & Dunlop reported EPS of $0.92 versus the $0.98 consensus and revenue of $298.45 million versus estimates of $310.93 million. Revenue declined 11.6% year over year.
• The company declared a $0.68 quarterly dividend, equivalent to $2.72 annually and a stated yield of 7.1%. Director Gary S. Pinkus also purchased 4,850 shares at an average price of $41.35.

Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $59.25.

WD has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut 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 research report on Friday, October 16th. Citizens Jmp reduced their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $55.00 to $50.00 and set a "market outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 16th. Weiss Ratings downgraded Walker & Dunlop from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research report on Monday, November 9th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 29th.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In related news, Director Gary S. Pinkus purchased 4,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, November 9th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $41.35 per share, for a total transaction of $200,547.50. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,850 shares in the company, valued at $200,547.50. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 4.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter valued at about $289,614,000. Jupiter Topco LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $63,434,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 8.2% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,369,114 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $60,760,000 after purchasing an additional 104,008 shares during the period. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Alyeska Investment Group L.P. now owns 555,439 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,383,000 after purchasing an additional 19,988 shares during the period. Finally, Conversant Capital LLC grew its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 33.0% during the 1st quarter. Conversant Capital LLC now owns 560,316 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,867,000 after buying an additional 138,936 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of Walker & Dunlop stock traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $38.30. 375,852 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 558,391. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $31.40 and a 52-week high of $66.47. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -37.92 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a fifty day moving average of $36.53 and a 200-day moving average of $46.76.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results 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 business had revenue of $298.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $310.93 million. Walker & Dunlop had a negative net margin of 2.64% and a positive return on equity of 6.66%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.22 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Investors of record on Friday, November 20th will be issued a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 20th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.1%. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -269.31%.

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.

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