Algert Global LLC Buys New Stake in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)

Algert Global LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 3,384 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $332,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 205.6% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter worth about $34,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. lifted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 163.6% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter valued at about $57,000. Finally, Asset Dedication LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter valued at about $94,000. 80.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $111.66 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $106.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $100.19. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $62.51 and a fifty-two week high of $116.26. The firm has a market cap of $3.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.75 and a beta of 1.55.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $270.70 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $274.50 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.65% and a net margin of 8.41%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.98 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd were paid a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 22nd. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.89%.

Insider Transactions at Walker & Dunlop

In related news, COO Stephen P. Theobald sold 13,870 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.10, for a total value of $1,471,607.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 53,869 shares in the company, valued at $5,715,500.90. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 5.47% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 25th. StockNews.com raised Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 11th. Wolfe Research upgraded Walker & Dunlop to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 24th. Finally, Wedbush lifted their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Walker & Dunlop Profile

Walker & Dunlop, Inc, through its subsidiaries, originates, sells, and services a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products and services for owners and developers of real estate in the United States. It operates through three segments: Capital Markets, Servicing & Asset Management, and Corporate.