Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Sets New 52-Week Low – What’s Next?

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Monday . The stock traded as low as $41.09 and last traded at $41.5690, with a volume of 83259 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $42.56.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WD shares. Citigroup reissued a “market outperform” rating on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $63.00 to $57.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Citizens Jmp reduced their price target on Walker & Dunlop from $70.00 to $55.00 and set a “market outperform” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $64.00.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.96. The firm has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.58 and a beta of 1.49.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.29. The firm 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%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 3.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.15 earnings per share.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 20th will be given a dividend of $0.68 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 20th. This represents a $2.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.8%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 242.86%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Walker & Dunlop

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WD. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC increased its position in Walker & Dunlop by 1,401.9% during the 4th quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 68,846 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $4,141,000 after buying an additional 64,262 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 12.2% in the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 545,558 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $32,815,000 after acquiring an additional 59,465 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 8.2% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,369,114 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $60,760,000 after acquiring an additional 104,008 shares during the period. Conversant Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 33.0% in the first quarter. Conversant Capital LLC now owns 560,316 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,867,000 after acquiring an additional 138,936 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 23.3% in the first quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 121,602 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,397,000 after acquiring an additional 23,010 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company’s stock.

About Walker & Dunlop

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.