UniSuper Management Pty Ltd Takes Position in Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)

UniSuper Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 7,868 shares of the financial services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $795,000.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Planned Solutions Inc. purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter worth $29,000. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Walker & Dunlop in the first quarter valued at $34,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its position in Walker & Dunlop by 163.6% during the 1st quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 398 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 247 shares during the period. Finally, Strs Ohio raised its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 114.3% in the 4th quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 1,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $166,000 after purchasing an additional 800 shares in the last quarter. 80.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price target 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. Wedbush reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $95.00 target price on shares of Walker & Dunlop in a report on Friday, May 3rd.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Up 2.8 %

Shares of WD stock traded up $2.90 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $106.94. 26,991 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 209,068. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $97.45 and its 200-day moving average price is $96.08. The company has a market cap of $3.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.93 and a beta of 1.55. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 12 month low of $62.51 and a 12 month high of $113.67.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The financial services provider reported $1.19 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.36. Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 8.87% and a return on equity of 9.16%. The business had revenue of $228.10 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $251.82 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.17 earnings per share. Walker & Dunlop’s quarterly revenue was down 4.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 5.35 earnings per share for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, May 16th were paid a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 15th. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.43%. Walker & Dunlop’s payout ratio is currently 94.89%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walker & Dunlop news, EVP Paula A. Pryor sold 4,533 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $97.33, for a total transaction of $441,196.89. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,227 shares in the company, valued at approximately $898,063.91. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 5.47% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Walker & Dunlop Profile

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.