Nuveen LLC Invests $11.17 Million in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. $WD

Nuveen LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 130,858 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $11,170,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WD. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter valued at $22,363,000. Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 257.2% during the 1st quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 282,688 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $24,130,000 after purchasing an additional 203,542 shares during the last quarter. Tributary Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter valued at $12,111,000. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 10,661.6% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 65,215 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $5,567,000 after purchasing an additional 64,609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Asset Management Inc. raised its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 111.1% during the 1st quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 87,854 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $7,499,000 after purchasing an additional 46,229 shares during the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Shares of WD stock opened at $86.8960 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52-week low of $64.48 and a 52-week high of $118.19. The stock has a market cap of $2.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.82 and a beta of 1.57. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $75.47 and a 200-day moving average of $77.53.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.14). Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 9.27% and a return on equity of 8.81%. The business had revenue of $319.24 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $275.84 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.23 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 21st will be issued a $0.67 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 21st. This represents a $2.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is presently 82.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WD has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $90.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a research note on Thursday, August 14th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Walker & Dunlop from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $92.50.

Walker & Dunlop Profile

Walker & Dunlop, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial real estate and finance services. It operates through the following segments: Capital Markets, Servicing and Asset Management, and Corporate. The Capital Markets segment offers a comprehensive range of commercial real estate finance products to customers.