93,150 Shares in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Bought by Man Group plc

Key Points

• Man Group plc acquired 93,150 shares of Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter, valued at approximately $5.1 million and representing about 0.27% of the company. Institutional investors collectively own 80.97% of WD.
• Walker & Dunlop reported quarterly EPS of $1.19, exceeding the $0.90 consensus estimate, but revenue declined 3.9% year over year to $306.69 million, below expectations.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, implying a 6.5% annualized yield. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with a $64 average price target, despite recent target-price reductions and WD trading at $41.64.

Man Group plc acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 93,150 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $5,095,000. Man Group plc owned approximately 0.27% of Walker & Dunlop as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of WD. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter valued at about $289,614,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,401.9% in the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 68,846 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,141,000 after buying an additional 64,262 shares in the last quarter. Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter valued at about $2,640,000. Royce & Associates LP lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 12.2% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 545,558 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $32,815,000 after acquiring an additional 59,465 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 75.2% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 477,737 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $21,202,000 after acquiring an additional 204,979 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company's stock.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

WD stock opened at $41.64 on Monday. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $47.80 and its 200-day simple moving average is $49.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a PE ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 1.49. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.01 and a 12 month high of $90.00.

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

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.5%. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 242.86%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WD shares. Citizens Jmp dropped their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a "market outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup reissued a "market outperform" rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Walker & Dunlop from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Company Profile

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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