8,809 Shares in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Acquired by AlphaQuest LLC

Key Points

• AlphaQuest LLC purchased 8,809 shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. valued at approximately $752,000, indicating institutional interest in the company.
• Walker & Dunlop reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.15, missing analysts' expectations by 14 cents, despite a 17.9% year-over-year revenue increase.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, reflecting a yield of 3.1% and a dividend payout ratio of 82.72%.

AlphaQuest LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 8,809 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $752,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in WD. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 40.0% during the 4th quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 16,980 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $1,651,000 after buying an additional 4,852 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth $687,000. Mariner LLC raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 4.6% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 4,886 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $475,000 after purchasing an additional 213 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 56.0% in the 4th quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 21,262 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $2,067,000 after purchasing an additional 7,634 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 19,339 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,880,000 after purchasing an additional 804 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 1.0%

Shares of NYSE WD traded down $0.89 during trading on Thursday, reaching $85.98. 171,949 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 242,693. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $77.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.93 billion, a PE ratio of 26.54 and a beta of 1.57. 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 announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.84 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The business's revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on WD shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Wedbush restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $90.00 price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, August 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average 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.