Nuveen LLC Buys Shares of 130,858 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has acquired 130,858 shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc., valued at approximately $11.17 million, representing 0.39% ownership of the company.
• The company reported earnings of $1.15 per share for the last quarter, missing estimates, but revenue increased by 17.9% year-over-year to $319.24 million.
• Walker & Dunlop announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, with an annualized yield of 3.1%, and a payout ratio of 82.72%.

Nuveen LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 130,858 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $11,170,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.39% of Walker & Dunlop at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Entropy Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter worth approximately $303,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 81.9% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 724 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 0.7% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 463,191 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $39,538,000 after buying an additional 3,069 shares during the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter valued at approximately $394,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 23.1% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 4,506 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $385,000 after buying an additional 846 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of WD stock traded down $1.19 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $85.42. 318,682 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 243,313. The firm has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.36 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $75.84 and a two-hundred day moving average of $77.23. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $64.48 and a fifty-two week high of $118.19.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.14). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 8.81% and a net margin of 9.27%.The firm had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.84 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.23 earnings per share. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st will be given a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 21st. Walker & Dunlop's payout ratio is presently 82.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on WD. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $90.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, August 14th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $92.50.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.