Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Reaches New 52-Week High Following Dividend Announcement

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a dividend announcement from the company. The stock traded as high as $118.19 and last traded at $116.84, with a volume of 4900 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $110.89.

The newly announced dividend which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.65 per share. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.33%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, November 22nd. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is 100.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WD has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wolfe Research upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 24th. StockNews.com upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, August 11th. Wedbush raised their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target 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.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $110.18 and its 200-day moving average is $102.83. The firm has a market cap of $3.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.38 and a beta of 1.55.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.29 by ($0.10). Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 8.41% and a return on equity of 9.65%. The business had revenue of $292.30 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $294.24 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.11 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, COO Stephen P. Theobald sold 13,870 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.10, for a total transaction of $1,471,607.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 53,869 shares in the company, valued at $5,715,500.90. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 5.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 205.6% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,295.8% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 44.5% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 575 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 64.7% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 654 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.