KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Purchases Shares of 6,800 Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 6,800 shares of the financial services provider's stock, valued at approximately $661,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. National Bank of Canada FI increased its stake in Walker & Dunlop by 42.2% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 391 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $44,000 after buying an additional 116 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 230.8% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 751 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $72,000 after acquiring an additional 524 shares during the period. KBC Group NV raised its stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 33.6% during the fourth quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 1,607 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $156,000 after acquiring an additional 404 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $178,000. Finally, Crewe Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 42.9% in the fourth quarter. Crewe Advisors LLC now owns 2,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $194,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Walker & Dunlop Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:WD traded down $1.95 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $78.17. The company's stock had a trading volume of 379,714 shares, compared to its average volume of 191,784. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $87.65 and its 200 day moving average price is $99.35. Walker & Dunlop, Inc. has a 52 week low of $76.12 and a 52 week high of $118.19. The company has a market capitalization of $2.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.50 and a beta of 1.42.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 13th. The financial services provider reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.52 by ($0.18). The business had revenue of $341.45 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $316.82 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.64% and a net margin of 9.55%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Walker & Dunlop, Inc. will post 4.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th were paid a dividend of $0.67 per share. This is a boost from Walker & Dunlop's previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.43%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 28th. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio is 84.01%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Walker & Dunlop from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $105.00 target price for the company in a research report on Thursday, March 6th.

Insider Activity at Walker & Dunlop

In other news, CEO William M. Walker bought 17,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 6th. The stock was bought at an average price of $86.21 per share, with a total value of $1,508,675.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 411,271 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $35,455,672.91. The trade was a 4.44 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 3.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Walker & Dunlop Company 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.