Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Sets New 52-Week Low – Here’s Why

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) shares hit a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $84.29 and last traded at $85.17, with a volume of 218590 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $86.44.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $120.00 to $105.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 14th.

Walker & Dunlop Trading Up 2.3 %

The business’s fifty day moving average is $94.55 and its 200 day moving average is $103.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.94 and a beta of 1.55.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.52 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $341.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $316.82 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.55% and a return on equity of 9.64%. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.12%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 81.50%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Erste Asset Management GmbH bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 3rd quarter valued at $19,843,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 29.3% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 72,649 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $8,252,000 after purchasing an additional 16,481 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 2,259,700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 22,598 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $2,567,000 after purchasing an additional 22,597 shares during the period. Weiss Asset Management LP bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,568,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 11,259.2% during the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 13,631 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,548,000 after acquiring an additional 13,511 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.