Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Shares Sold by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC trimmed its stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) by 51.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 17,518 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 18,327 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Walker & Dunlop were worth $1,465,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Allworth Financial LP boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 115.8% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 65.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 479 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the period. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $51,000. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 261.6% during the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,338 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $112,000 after buying an additional 968 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 758.5% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 1,468 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $123,000 after buying an additional 1,297 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $48.30 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 29.45 and a beta of 1.57. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $60.75 and its two-hundred day moving average is $70.56. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1-year low of $42.12 and a 1-year high of $90.00.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released 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). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 6.81% and a net margin of 4.56%.The business had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $343.66 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is currently 163.41%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on WD shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, December 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $75.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, November 8th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $81.25.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Ernest Michael Freedman acquired 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, with a total value of $246,050.00. Following the completion of 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 acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 3.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.