Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Upgraded to Hold at Wall Street Zen

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) was upgraded by equities researchers at Wall Street Zen from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on WD. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Tuesday, August 18th. Citizens Jmp cut their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock traded up $1.36 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $41.64. 529,502 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 473,466. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $39.01 and a 12-month high of $90.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.80 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $49.79.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.29. The business had revenue of $306.69 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 7.25% and a net margin of 2.94%.The business’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.15 earnings per share.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the second quarter worth approximately $289,614,000. California State Teachers Retirement System grew its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 7,135.4% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 2,099,988 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $114,869,000 after buying an additional 2,070,964 shares during the period. Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth $63,434,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth $20,437,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter worth $15,147,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

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.