Ernest Michael Freedman Acquires 5,000 Shares of Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Stock

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Director Ernest Michael Freedman bought 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 5th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $49.21 per share, for a total transaction of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 6,097 shares in the company, valued at $300,033.37. This represents a 455.79% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 4.4%

NYSE WD traded down $2.21 on Friday, reaching $48.30. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 403,501 shares, compared to its average volume of 313,473. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.12 and a 52 week high of $90.00. The firm has a market cap of $1.65 billion, a PE ratio of 29.45 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $61.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $70.81.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 EPS 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 business had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $343.66 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.32 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate 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. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.68 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.6%. This is a positive change from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.67. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently 163.41%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% in the fourth 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. Virtu Financial LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth approximately $263,000. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 2.9% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 93,728 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $5,638,000 after buying an additional 2,632 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter valued at $62,000. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter valued at $602,000. Institutional investors 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.