Man Group plc Buys Shares of 93,150 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Man Group plc purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 93,150 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $5,095,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of WD. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 107.9% during the first quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 580 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 301 shares during the period. Strs Ohio purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 1st quarter worth approximately $51,000. Essential Partners LLC grew its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 709.1% in the 1st quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 623 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,398.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 734 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $44,000 after acquiring an additional 685 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on WD shares. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Citizens Jmp dropped their target price on Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Walker & Dunlop from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 18th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Walker & Dunlop has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $41.64 on Monday. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.01 and a 1 year high of $90.00. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $47.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $49.70. The company has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.18 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $306.69 million for 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%. Walker & Dunlop’s revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.15 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be issued a dividend of $0.68 per share. This represents a $2.72 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.5%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 242.86%.

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.