Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Receives $79.20 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) have earned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $79.20.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, May 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Stephens assumed coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 price objective on the stock.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 0.9%

WD stock opened at $50.55 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03 and a beta of 1.52. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $42.12 and a 12-month high of $90.00. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $48.60 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.53.

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

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Dana L. Schmaltz purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $45.78 per share, for a total transaction of $45,780.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 84,325 shares in the company, valued at $3,860,398.50. This trade represents a 1.20% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Ernest Michael Freedman purchased 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were bought at an average price of $49.21 per share, for a total transaction of $246,050.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 6,097 shares in the company, valued at $300,033.37. This trade represents a 455.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 4.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 107.9% in the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 301 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 49.6% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $49,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter valued at about $51,000. Finally, Essential Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 709.1% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 546 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

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.