Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) Short Interest Update

Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) saw a large decrease in short interest in the month of October. As of October 31st, there was short interest totalling 855,200 shares, a decrease of 17.0% from the October 15th total of 1,030,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 166,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 5.1 days.

Walker & Dunlop Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of NYSE:WD opened at $106.62 on Friday. Walker & Dunlop has a 52-week low of $81.14 and a 52-week high of $118.19. The stock has a market cap of $3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.08 and a beta of 1.55. The business has a fifty day moving average of $110.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $103.58.

Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 7th. The financial services provider reported $1.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.29 by ($0.10). Walker & Dunlop had a net margin of 8.91% and a return on equity of 9.81%. The firm had revenue of $292.30 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $294.24 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.11 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Walker & Dunlop will post 5.18 earnings per share for the current year.

Walker & Dunlop Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.65 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $2.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.44%. Walker & Dunlop’s dividend payout ratio is currently 92.86%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Walker & Dunlop news, COO Stephen P. Theobald sold 13,870 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.10, for a total transaction of $1,471,607.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 53,869 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,715,500.90. This trade represents a 20.48 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 5.47% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. National Bank of Canada FI lifted its position in Walker & Dunlop by 205.6% in the second quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 275 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Walker & Dunlop by 1,295.8% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 335 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 311 shares during the last quarter. EntryPoint Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Walker & Dunlop during the 1st quarter worth approximately $57,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its holdings in Walker & Dunlop by 44.5% in the 2nd quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 575 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $56,000 after purchasing an additional 177 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Walker & Dunlop by 64.7% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 654 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $74,000 after purchasing an additional 257 shares during the period. 80.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.