Northern Trust Corp Sells 10,675 Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Key Points

• Northern Trust Corp reduced its stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. by 2.4%, owning approximately 426,990 shares valued at $36.4 million after selling 10,675 shares in the first quarter.
• Walker & Dunlop reported $1.15 earnings per share for the last quarter, which missed analysts' consensus estimates of $1.29, despite a revenue increase of 17.9% year-over-year.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 3.1%, with a payout ratio of 82.72%.

Northern Trust Corp lessened its holdings in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 2.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 426,990 shares of the financial services provider's stock after selling 10,675 shares during the quarter. Northern Trust Corp owned 1.26% of Walker & Dunlop worth $36,448,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 1,845,100 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $179,355,000 after acquiring an additional 8,571 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 463,191 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $39,538,000 after buying an additional 3,069 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 257.2% during the 1st quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 282,688 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $24,130,000 after buying an additional 203,542 shares in the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter valued at $22,363,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake 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 worth $13,663,000 after acquiring an additional 3,805 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have commented on WD. Wedbush restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $90.00 price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $92.50.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of Walker & Dunlop stock traded down $1.18 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $81.92. 145,425 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 241,119. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a twelve month low of $64.48 and a twelve month high of $118.19. The company has a market cap of $2.79 billion, a PE ratio of 25.26 and a beta of 1.59. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $77.96 and a 200-day simple moving average of $77.11.

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). Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The business had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.84 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.23 earnings per share. Walker & Dunlop's revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. Walker & Dunlop's payout ratio is currently 82.72%.

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.