Fact based stock research
Walker & Dunlop (NYSE:WD)

US93148P1021

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For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Walker & Dunlop stock research in summary

walkerdunlop.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 66 (better than 66% compared with investment alternatives), Walker & Dunlop (Thrifts & Mortgage Finance, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Walker & Dunlop are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 29 (worse than 71% of alternatives) and show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 47) but are safely financed (Safety Rank of 88), which means low debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 66, is a buy recommendation based on Walker & Dunlop's financial characteristics. As the company Walker & Dunlop's critical financial metrics exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 29) and low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 47), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. In this case, good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 88) are a positive sign, because it may allow the company to weather challenging times until the hoped-for cash flows materialize. This may be true for high-tech or biotechnology companies with enough cash to sustain prolonged business development. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and unattractive today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value, as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts lie all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that account for a small fraction of a safe portfolio. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	29
Growth Rank	47
Safety Rank	88
Combined Rank	66

Country	USA
Industry	Thrifts & Mortgage Finance
Index
Size class	Large

14-Nov-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Walker & Dunlop

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	20	35	22	29
GROWTH
GROWTH	89	97	65	47
SAFETY
SAFETY	70	71	96	88
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	97	88	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	97	90	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 14-Nov-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Jun-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Walker & Dunlop is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	20	35	22	29
GROWTH
GROWTH	89	97	65	47
SAFETY
SAFETY	70	71	96	88
COMBINED
COMBINED	68	93	80	66

Last update of combined financial performance: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Walker & Dunlop the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 29 (worse than 71% compared with alternatives), Walker & Dunlop shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Walker & Dunlop. Only the metric dividend yield has an above-average rank, reflecting that dividend practices are expected to be higher than 73% of comparable companies, making the stock an attractive buy for dividend investors. However, dividend investors may get disappointed because all other critical financial indicators are below the market median: Price-to-Sales is 42 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 58% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Walker & Dunlop's sales levels. The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (also referred to as price-earnings, P/E) with a rank of 17 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profit levels is higher than 83% of comparable companies. In addition, Price-to-Book (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 22 is also low. Compared with invested capital, the stock price is higher than for 78% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 29, is a hold recommendation based on Walker & Dunlop's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Should dividend investors pick Walker & Dunlop? The company-reported financials speak against it. The company is expensive compared with revenue and invested capital levels, two reliable company size indicators. In addition, it currently has a low level of profits. How can future dividends be paid in the case that profits remain low? Dividend investors should choose Walker & Dunlop only if they reasonably expect the low current profit levels to be transitory. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is essential in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	25	51	36	42
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	20	25	16	17
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	16	14	20	22
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	50	69	63	73
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	20	35	22	29

Last update of Value Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Walker & Dunlop; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 47 (better than 47% compared with alternatives), Walker & Dunlop shows a below-average growth dynamic in its industry. There is limited momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Walker & Dunlop. Sales Growth has a rank of 65 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow more than 65% of its competitors. Stock Returns are also above average with a rank of 61. But Capital Growth has only a rank of 36, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its invested capital less than 64% of its competitors. Profit Growth is also low, with a rank of only 40, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits below average. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 47, is a hold recommendation for growth and momentum investors. This is a surprising picture, as the messages from the operating growth indicators of revenues, profits, and invested capital are mixed, while stock returns are above average. It may indicate new intellectual properties, such as brand improvement or a strong market position that shows in revenues but not in the capital. The low profit-growth rate may indicate an early phase where costs are still high, and revenues don't fully cover upfront investments or fixed costs. The positive investor outlook with a 61% peer outperformance is reaffirmed in this case which may be a good sign for an investment into a well-protected high-growth company. This fact needs to be confirmed by researching the company website and press. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	78	94	72	65
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	47	28	20	40
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	90	64	36
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	98	87	69	61
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	89	97	65	47

Last update of Growth Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Walker & Dunlop.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Walker & Dunlop has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Walker & Dunlop is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above average for Walker & Dunlop. Leverage is at a rank of 90, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 90% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 91, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 91% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 15, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 85% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives), Walker & Dunlop has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for Walker & Dunlop. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge with Walker & Dunlop and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	62	50	95	90
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	62	19	23	15
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	59	98	98	91
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	70	71	96	88

Last update of Safety Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Walker & Dunlop and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	92	64	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	79	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	89	82	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	54	58	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	97	88	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Walker & Dunlop.
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