Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD Shares Sold by EULAV Asset Management

EULAV Asset Management lessened its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) by 77.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 8,600 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 30,300 shares during the period. EULAV Asset Management’s holdings in Walker & Dunlop were worth $517,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of WD. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 49.0% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 303,242 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $25,357,000 after acquiring an additional 99,658 shares during the period. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Walker & Dunlop by 34.5% in the third quarter. Thornburg Investment Management Inc. now owns 159,641 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $13,349,000 after acquiring an additional 40,907 shares during the period. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 59.9% in the fourth quarter. Deprince Race & Zollo Inc. now owns 859,072 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $51,673,000 after purchasing an additional 321,734 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 19.8% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 114,441 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $9,570,000 after purchasing an additional 18,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royce & Associates LP boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 12.6% in the third quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 486,093 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,647,000 after purchasing an additional 54,344 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $51.23 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.12 and a 52 week high of $90.00. The firm has a market cap of $1.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.36 and a beta of 1.50. The business’s fifty day moving average is $49.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $55.77.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, June 4th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a dividend of $0.68 per share. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is 134.65%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Dana L. Schmaltz purchased 1,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $45.78 per share, with a total value of $45,780.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 84,325 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,860,398.50. The trade was a 1.20% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 4.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on WD shares. Weiss Ratings lowered Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 28th. Stephens started coverage on Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Thursday, April 23rd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $69.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Walker & Dunlop from $65.00 to $67.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $79.20.

Walker & Dunlop Company Profile

Walker & Dunlop is one of the largest providers of commercial real estate finance in the United States, specializing in the origination, servicing and sale of loans secured by multifamily, seniors housing, healthcare, student housing and manufactured housing properties. The firm offers a full suite of debt and equity solutions, including agency financing through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, HUD and FHA-insured loans, bridge and construction financing, mezzanine debt, preferred equity, and investment sales advisory.

With roots dating back to 1937 and its headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, Walker & Dunlop has expanded its platform through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.