Deutsche Bank AG Buys 8,879 Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)

Deutsche Bank AG raised its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 9.4% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 102,894 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 8,879 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG owned about 0.30% of Walker & Dunlop worth $10,002,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 456.4% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 230.8% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $72,000 after purchasing an additional 524 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 33.6% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,607 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $156,000 after purchasing an additional 404 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter worth approximately $178,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 42.9% in the fourth quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 2,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $194,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Walker & Dunlop

In other Walker & Dunlop news, CEO William M. Walker purchased 17,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 6th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $86.21 per share, for a total transaction of $1,508,675.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 411,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at $35,455,672.91. This trade represents a 4.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 3.66% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on WD. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Tuesday, May 6th.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock traded down $0.48 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $66.69. 94,539 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 197,511. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $65.00 and a 52-week high of $118.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.91 and a beta of 1.64. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $77.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $90.46.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 by ($0.13). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.64% and a net margin of 9.55%. The business had revenue of $237.37 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $260.43 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.35 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be paid a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.02%. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio is presently 91.78%.

Walker & Dunlop Company Profile

Walker & Dunlop, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial real estate and finance services. It operates through the following segments: Capital Markets, Servicing and Asset Management, and Corporate. The Capital Markets segment offers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate finance products to customers.