Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.01 EPS

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The financial services provider reported $1.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by $0.01, Zacks reports. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 8.81% and a net margin of 9.27%.The business had revenue of $337.68 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $325.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.19 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 15.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 11.2%

WD opened at $71.00 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.91 and a beta of 1.66. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $83.23 and a 200-day moving average of $77.36. Walker & Dunlop has a 12-month low of $64.48 and a 12-month high of $114.60.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 5th. Investors of record on Friday, November 21st will be given a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 21st. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is 82.72%.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In other news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 5,336 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.20, for a total value of $459,963.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 9,341 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $805,194.20. This represents a 36.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 3.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WD. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter valued at $51,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 27.7% in the 2nd quarter. Engineers Gate Manager LP now owns 4,408 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 956 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 183.1% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 4,447 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $313,000 after purchasing an additional 2,876 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of 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 valued at $316,000 after buying an additional 552 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the second quarter valued at about $343,000. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently commented on WD. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $95.00 to $97.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Citigroup upgraded Walker & Dunlop to an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Walker & Dunlop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. Finally, Citizens Jmp raised Walker & Dunlop from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $95.00 target price on the stock in a report on Friday, October 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $94.25.

Walker & Dunlop Company Profile

Walker & Dunlop, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial real estate and finance services. It operates through the following segments: Capital Markets, Servicing and Asset Management, and Corporate. The Capital Markets segment offers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate finance products to customers.