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

Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report issued on Saturday morning,Wall Street Zen reports.

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

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE WD opened at $40.41 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.08 and a beta of 1.49. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $47.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $49.53. Walker & Dunlop has a twelve month low of $39.01 and a twelve month high of $90.00.

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

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.7%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 242.86%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 107.9% in the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 301 shares in the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter worth $51,000. Essential Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 709.1% during the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter worth $35,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of 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 worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the last quarter. 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.