Jupiter Topco LLC Invests $63.43 Million in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor purchased 1,159,668 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $63,434,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. PDT Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the second quarter worth about $2,184,000. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter valued at about $859,000. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,318,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $916,000. Finally, Algert Global LLC bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,766,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 0.2%

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $40.22 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $48.00 and its 200-day moving average price is $49.85. The company has a market cap of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 35.91 and a beta of 1.49. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a twelve month low of $39.01 and a twelve month high of $90.00.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $306.69 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $337.37 million. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 7.25%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.15 EPS.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 6.8%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is presently 242.86%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently issued reports on WD. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Citigroup reiterated a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 8th. Finally, Citizens Jmp decreased their price target on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $64.00.

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.