Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Time to Sell?

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)’s stock price hit a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $39.43 and last traded at $39.58, with a volume of 55400 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $40.22.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on WD. Citizens Jmp reduced their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen lowered Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered their price target 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. Finally, 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. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Down 1.9%

The company has a market capitalization of $1.36 billion, a PE ratio of 35.19 and a beta of 1.49. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $48.90 and its two-hundred day moving average is $50.49.

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

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.9%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently 242.86%.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 41.4% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 8,196 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $699,000 after purchasing an additional 2,399 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,702 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $316,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 19,115 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,632,000 after buying an additional 823 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 7.5% in the 1st 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 buying an additional 7,470 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 1,136.3% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 62,497 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,335,000 after buying an additional 57,442 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other 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.