Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Trading Down 5.9% – What’s Next?

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) shares traded down 5.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as low as $46.71 and last traded at $46.9710. 215,205 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 32% from the average session volume of 317,810 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.92.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WD has been the topic of several recent research reports. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, December 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $75.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $81.25.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 6.0%

The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $60.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $70.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.60 billion, a PE ratio of 28.70 and a beta of 1.57.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($1.18). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 4.56%.The firm had revenue of $340.02 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $343.66 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.68 per share. This is a positive change from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.8%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is 163.41%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Ernest Michael Freedman acquired 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $49.21 per share, with a total value of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 6,097 shares in the company, valued at approximately $300,033.37. This trade represents a 455.79% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 115.8% in the second quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 65.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 734 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 685 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Huntington National Bank raised its stake in 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 last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.