Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) Stock Price

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Free Report) had its target price decreased by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $120.00 to $105.00 in a research report report published on Friday,Benzinga reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods currently has a market perform rating on the financial services provider's stock.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:WD traded down $1.27 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $85.17. The stock had a trading volume of 218,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 196,951. Walker & Dunlop has a 1 year low of $84.29 and a 1 year high of $118.19. The firm's 50 day moving average is $95.86 and its 200-day moving average is $103.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.42 and a beta of 1.55.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results 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 firm had revenue of $341.45 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $316.82 million. Walker & Dunlop had a return on equity of 9.81% and a net margin of 8.91%. Analysts forecast that Walker & Dunlop will post 5.14 EPS for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 14th. Investors of record on Friday, February 28th will be issued a $0.67 dividend. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.15%. This is an increase from Walker & Dunlop's previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 28th. Walker & Dunlop's dividend payout ratio is 92.86%.

Institutional Trading of Walker & Dunlop

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Sterling Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 456.4% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 306 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 251 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,295.8% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. National Bank of Canada FI increased its position in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 42.2% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 391 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. 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 purchasing an additional 524 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of Walker & Dunlop in the 4th quarter valued at about $96,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.97% of the company's stock.

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.