Heartland Advisors Inc. Invests $4.18 Million in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Heartland Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 50,000 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $4,181,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 115.8% in the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 65.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter worth $51,000. CWM LLC boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 261.6% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $112,000 after buying an additional 968 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. increased its position in Walker & Dunlop by 758.5% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,468 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $123,000 after acquiring an additional 1,297 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently commented on WD. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen cut Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $82.00 to $80.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $85.00.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WD opened at $62.29 on Wednesday. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $58.60 and a 52-week high of $90.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.48 and a beta of 1.55. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $62.52 and a 200 day moving average price of $72.77.

Walker & Dunlop Profile

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.