Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Price Target Raised to $67.00 at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) had its price target lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $65.00 to $67.00 in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has an outperform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on WD. Stephens started coverage on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. They set an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $79.20.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:WD opened at $54.57 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $42.12 and a 52-week high of $90.00. The company has a market capitalization of $1.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.01 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a 50 day moving average of $47.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $59.48.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 26th. The financial services provider reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($1.18). Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 7.18% and a net margin of 5.29%.The company had revenue of $340.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $343.66 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.0%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 165.85%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Walker & Dunlop

In other news, Director Dana L. Schmaltz acquired 1,000 shares of Walker & Dunlop stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $45.78 per share, for a total transaction of $45,780.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 84,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,860,398.50. This trade represents a 1.20% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Ernest Michael Freedman acquired 5,000 shares of Walker & Dunlop stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 5th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $49.21 per share, for a total transaction of $246,050.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 6,097 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $300,033.37. The trade was a 455.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 4.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WD. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted 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 last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 49.6% during the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $49,000 after purchasing an additional 194 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter worth $51,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC bought a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the fourth quarter worth $62,000. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More Walker & Dunlop News

Here are the key news stories impacting Walker & Dunlop this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walker & Dunlop reported Q1 earnings of $1.02 per share, far above estimates, with revenue of $301.33 million also topping expectations and rising 26.9% year over year. MarketBeat earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target on Walker & Dunlop to $67 from $65 and reiterated an outperform rating, signaling continued analyst confidence. Benzinga article
• Positive Sentiment: The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.68 per share, which supports the stock’s appeal for income-focused investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management struck an optimistic tone on the earnings call, and a reported surge in call volume suggests investors are actively re-evaluating the name after the results. TipRanks earnings call article
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage of the quarter and transcript publication may keep attention on the stock, but these items are largely follow-up items to the earnings release. Seeking Alpha transcript

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.