Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Reaches New 12-Month High – Still a Buy?

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $116.43 and last traded at $115.59, with a volume of 29276 shares. The stock had previously closed at $115.41.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Wolfe Research raised Walker & Dunlop to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 24th. StockNews.com raised shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, August 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. Finally, Wedbush raised their target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $3.88 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.95 and a beta of 1.55. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $108.21 and its 200-day simple moving average is $101.09.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 8th. The financial services provider reported $1.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $270.70 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $274.50 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.65% and a net margin of 8.41%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down .7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 5.32 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 22nd. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.26%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 94.89%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Stephen P. Theobald sold 13,870 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.10, for a total value of $1,471,607.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 53,869 shares in the company, valued at $5,715,500.90. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 5.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. National Bank of Canada FI grew its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 205.6% during the 2nd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 185 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Walker & Dunlop during the first quarter valued at $34,000. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 1,295.8% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 311 shares in the last quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 163.6% in the first quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares during the period. Finally, EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter worth about $57,000. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Walker & Dunlop

Walker & Dunlop, Inc, through its subsidiaries, originates, sells, and services a range of multifamily and other commercial real estate financing products and services for owners and developers of real estate in the United States. It operates through three segments: Capital Markets, Servicing & Asset Management, and Corporate.