Ieq Capital LLC Takes Position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Ieq Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor acquired 48,262 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $2,640,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the 2nd quarter worth about $289,614,000. Balyasny Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the second quarter valued at approximately $15,147,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 75.2% in the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 477,737 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $21,202,000 after acquiring an additional 204,979 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP boosted its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 238.2% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 284,067 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $23,754,000 after purchasing an additional 200,074 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $10,454,000. 80.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of Walker & Dunlop stock opened at $39.52 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.29 and a beta of 1.49. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $48.67 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.34. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $39.32 and a 52-week high of $90.00.

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

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

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 given 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 dividend yield of 6.9%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is currently 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.