Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Cut to Sell at Wall Street Zen

Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on WD. Weiss Ratings raised Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Stephens initiated 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. Finally, 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 note on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $77.20.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE WD opened at $43.72 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $41.38 and a 12-month high of $90.00. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $50.68 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $51.91. The stock has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.04 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $306.69 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $337.37 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.15 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.2%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is 242.86%.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WD. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. 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 purchasing an additional 301 shares during the last quarter. Essential Partners LLC raised its holdings 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 during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 734 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 685 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 80.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.