Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Releases Earnings Results

Key Points

• Walker & Dunlop reported $1.15 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by $0.14, despite achieving revenues of $319.24 million, which was above analyst expectations of $275.84 million.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.67 per share, representing a 3.3% dividend yield, with a payout ratio of 91.78%.
• Walker & Dunlop's stock rose by 1.3% following the earnings announcement, reaching a price of $80.95 during trading.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.14), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $319.24 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $275.84 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.23 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

NYSE WD traded up $2.76 on Tuesday, hitting $81.02. The stock had a trading volume of 95,865 shares, compared to its average volume of 242,931. The business's fifty day moving average price is $72.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $77.99. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $64.48 and a 52-week high of $118.19. The stock has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.95 and a beta of 1.57.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. Walker & Dunlop's payout ratio is currently 82.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $95.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Saturday.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 17.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,702 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $51,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,115 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $1,632,000 after buying an additional 823 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 41.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,196 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $699,000 after buying an additional 2,399 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 7.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 107,730 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $9,196,000 after buying an additional 7,470 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.