Verdence Capital Advisors LLC Acquires 5,046 Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Key Points

• Verdence Capital Advisors LLC increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. by 13.8%, acquiring an additional 5,046 shares, bringing its total to approximately 41,527 shares valued at $2.9 million.
• Walker & Dunlop recently announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, which translates to an annualized yield of 3.3%, with an 82.72% payout ratio.
• Equities analysts have upgraded Walker & Dunlop's stock ratings, with Citigroup and others giving it an "outperform" rating, while the average price target stands at $94.25.

Verdence Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) by 13.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 41,527 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 5,046 shares during the period. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC owned about 0.12% of Walker & Dunlop worth $2,927,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. First Horizon Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $32,000. Strs Ohio bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $51,000. National Bank of Canada FI boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 81.9% during the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 724 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 26.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 764 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 158 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on WD shares. Citigroup upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 9th. Wedbush reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $90.00 price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Thursday, August 14th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Citizens Jmp upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $95.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $94.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 5,336 shares of Walker & Dunlop stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the executive vice president owned 9,341 shares of the company's stock, valued at $805,194.20. The trade was a 36.36% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 3.66% of the company's stock.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 1.2%

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $81.53 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $83.59 and a 200-day moving average price of $76.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.78 billion, a PE ratio of 25.16 and a beta of 1.59. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 12-month low of $64.48 and a 12-month high of $118.19.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.14). The company had revenue of $319.24 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.84 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 8.81% and a net margin of 9.27%.The company's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.23 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict 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. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st were given a dividend of $0.67 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.3%. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 82.72%.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.

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