Alliancebernstein L.P. Sells 27,100 Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Key Points

• Alliancebernstein L.P. reduced its holdings in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. by 2.4% in the first quarter, now owning 1,089,271 shares worth approximately $92.98 million.
• Walker & Dunlop experienced a quarterly revenue increase of 17.9% to $319.24 million, although it missed earnings expectations with an EPS of $1.15.
• The company recently declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67, equating to an annualized yield of 3.1%.

Alliancebernstein L.P. lowered its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 2.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,089,271 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 27,100 shares during the period. Alliancebernstein L.P. owned 3.21% of Walker & Dunlop worth $92,980,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of WD. Principal Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 2.4% in the 1st quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 160,069 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $13,663,000 after purchasing an additional 3,805 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 111.1% in the first quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,854 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $7,499,000 after buying an additional 46,229 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 17.1% during the fourth quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 100,260 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $9,746,000 after buying an additional 14,647 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth about $219,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 122.0% in the 1st quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.97% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Walker & Dunlop news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 5,336 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.20, for a total value of $459,963.20. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 9,341 shares of the company's stock, valued at $805,194.20. The trade was a 36.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 3.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE WD traded up $1.18 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $87.31. 221,964 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 209,990. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $79.87 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $77.21. The company has a market capitalization of $2.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.95 and a beta of 1.59. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $64.48 and a 52-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 analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $275.84 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The firm's revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 21st were given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.1%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 21st. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WD. Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $90.00 price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $92.50.

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.