Nomura Holdings Inc. Takes Position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)

Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 4,808 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $467,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WD. Sterling Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 456.4% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 230.8% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 524 shares in the last quarter. KBC Group NV lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 33.6% in the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,607 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $156,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter worth about $178,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC lifted 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 acquiring an additional 600 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently commented on the company. Wall Street Zen cut Walker & Dunlop from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO William M. Walker bought 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $86.21 per share, with a total value of $1,508,675.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now 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 purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.66% of the company's stock.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 3.6%

Walker & Dunlop stock traded up $2.36 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $68.82. The stock had a trading volume of 220,616 shares, compared to its average volume of 199,586. The stock has a market cap of $2.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.57 and a beta of 1.64. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 12 month low of $64.48 and a 12 month high of $118.19. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $75.77 and a 200 day moving average price of $89.10.

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

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 15th. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.78%.

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.