Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Price Target Raised to $112.00 at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) had its target price hoisted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $105.00 to $112.00 in a research note released on Thursday morning, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the financial services provider’s stock.

Separately, Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and issued a $95.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, May 3rd.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $108.35 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.54 and a beta of 1.55. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $62.51 and a 52-week high of $113.67. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $97.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $96.19.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.36. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.16% and a net margin of 8.87%. The company had revenue of $228.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $251.82 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.17 EPS. Walker & Dunlop’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop will post 5.35 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 16th were issued a $0.65 dividend. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.40%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, May 15th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.89%.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In related news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 4,533 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.33, for a total value of $441,196.89. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,227 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $898,063.91. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 5.47% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter valued at $795,000. Comerica Bank raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 15,768 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $1,750,000 after buying an additional 273 shares during the last quarter. Voss Capital LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 16.8% in the 4th quarter. Voss Capital LLC now owns 84,395 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $9,369,000 after buying an additional 12,165 shares during the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter valued at $1,444,000. Finally, Moody Aldrich Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 36.7% during the 4th quarter. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC now owns 67,099 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,449,000 after purchasing an additional 18,017 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.