Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analysts rate Walker & Dunlop “Moderate Buy”: Five of seven analysts recommend buying the stock, while two rate it a hold. The average 12-month price target is $79.20, well above the reported $51.50 share price.
• Institutional ownership is substantial: Hedge funds including DePrince, New Age Alpha, Royce, Dimensional Fund Advisors and Conversant Capital increased their positions, with institutional investors collectively owning 80.97% of the company.
• Latest earnings beat expectations: Walker & Dunlop reported quarterly earnings of $1.19 per share versus the $0.90 consensus estimate, although revenue of $306.69 million fell short of the $337.37 million forecast.

Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the seven research firms that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $79.20.

WD has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen raised Walker & Dunlop from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Stephens started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 59.9% during the 4th quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 859,072 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $51,673,000 after buying an additional 321,734 shares during the period. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,401.9% in the 4th quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 68,846 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $4,141,000 after acquiring an additional 64,262 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 12.2% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 545,558 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $32,815,000 after acquiring an additional 59,465 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 8.2% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,369,114 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $60,760,000 after acquiring an additional 104,008 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Conversant Capital LLC lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 33.0% during the first quarter. Conversant Capital LLC now owns 560,316 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $24,867,000 after acquiring an additional 138,936 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company's stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WD opened at $51.50 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $51.02 and a two-hundred day moving average of $52.34. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $42.12 and a 52-week high of $90.00. The stock has a market cap of $1.77 billion, a PE ratio of 25.50 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $306.69 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 5.29% and a return on equity of 7.18%.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest providers of commercial real estate finance in the United States, specializing in the origination, servicing and sale of loans secured by multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, student housing and manufactured housing properties. The firm offers a full suite of debt and equity solutions, including agency financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, HUD and FHA-insured loans, bridge and construction financing, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and investment sales advisory.

With roots dating back to 1937 and its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, Walker & Dunlop has expanded its platform through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

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