Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Trims Stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP reduced its stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. by 1.6%, selling 19,828 shares but still holding approximately 3.69% of the company's stock valued at $107 million.
• Walker & Dunlop recently announced a $0.67 quarterly dividend, representing a 3.1% yield, with the dividend payout ratio currently at 82.72%.
• Despite missing earnings estimates for the quarter, Walker & Dunlop's revenue increased by 17.9% year-over-year, reaching $319.24 million, indicating robust business growth.

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP trimmed its position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 1.6% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,254,178 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 19,828 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 3.69% of Walker & Dunlop worth $107,051,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WD. First Horizon Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $27,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 456.4% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 251 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter valued at $32,000. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 90.5% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 383 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 182 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 122.0% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 444 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of WD stock traded down $1.72 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $85.15. The company had a trading volume of 54,210 shares, compared to its average volume of 241,932. The company's fifty day moving average is $76.63 and its 200 day moving average is $77.35. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $64.48 and a fifty-two week high of $118.19. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.90 billion, a PE ratio of 26.28 and a beta of 1.57.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.15 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.84 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.23 earnings per share. Walker & Dunlop's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have weighed in on WD. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday, August 9th. Wedbush reissued a "neutral" rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. One 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. According to MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $92.50.

Walker & Dunlop 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.