The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company Buys Shares of 16,753 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 16,753 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $916,000.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in WD. Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 41.4% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $699,000 after acquiring an additional 2,399 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 17.5% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $316,000 after purchasing an additional 552 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 4.5% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,632,000 after purchasing an additional 823 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC grew its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 7.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 107,730 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,196,000 after purchasing an additional 7,470 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,136.3% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 62,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,335,000 after purchasing an additional 57,442 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Citigroup restated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citizens Jmp cut their target price 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. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NYSE:WD opened at $42.69 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 38.12 and a beta of 1.45. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1-year low of $39.01 and a 1-year high of $90.00. The business’s 50 day moving average is $46.63 and its 200-day moving average is $49.05.

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

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th were issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 20th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 242.86%.

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.