Legato Capital Management LLC Takes Position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Legato Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 11,697 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $704,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Huntington National Bank lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 49.6% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter valued at about $51,000. Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 758.5% in the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,468 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $123,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares during the last quarter. Finally, iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the third quarter valued at about $139,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WD opened at $50.43 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.73 billion, a PE ratio of 24.97 and a beta of 1.52. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $48.40 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.88. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1 year low of $42.12 and a 1 year high of $90.00.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($1.18). The business had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $343.66 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 7.18% and a net margin of 5.29%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.68 per share. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 134.65%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Dana L. Schmaltz bought 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $45.78 per share, for a total transaction of $45,780.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 84,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,860,398.50. This represents a 1.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Ernest Michael Freedman bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $49.21 per share, for a total transaction of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 6,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $300,033.37. This trade represents a 455.79% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. 4.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have commented on WD shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, May 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 target price on the stock. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $79.20.

Walker & Dunlop Company 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.