Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Shares Acquired by Royce & Associates LP

Key Points

• Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 257.2% in the first quarter, owning about 0.83% of the company valued at approximately $24.1 million.
• Walker & Dunlop reported a Q1 EPS of $0.85, missing estimates by $0.13, with revenue of $237.37 million, below expectations of $260.43 million.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, representing a 3.51% dividend yield and a payout ratio of 91.78%.

Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 257.2% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 282,688 shares of the financial services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 203,542 shares during the quarter. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.83% of Walker & Dunlop worth $24,130,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter worth about $40,226,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter valued at $22,363,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter valued at $17,384,000. Tributary Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter valued at $12,111,000. Finally, Granite Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth $13,338,000. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of WD stock traded up $0.45 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $76.38. 159,733 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 298,606. The business's fifty day moving average is $70.88 and its two-hundred day moving average is $79.43. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.48 and a 12-month high of $118.19. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.16 and a beta of 1.54.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The financial services provider reported $0.85 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.98 by ($0.13). The company had revenue of $237.37 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $260.43 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 8.68% and a return on equity of 8.99%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.35 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 15th were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 15th. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.51%. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 91.78%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WD has been the subject of a number of research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th.

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.