Those following along with Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE:WD) will no doubt be intrigued by the recent purchase of shares by William Walker, Chairman of the company, who spent a stonking US$1.5m on stock at an average price of US$86.21. While that only increased their holding size by 1.9%, it is still a big swing by our standards.
View our latest analysis for Walker & Dunlop
The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Walker & Dunlop
Notably, that recent purchase by William Walker is the biggest insider purchase of Walker & Dunlop shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that even when the share price was higher than US$86.37 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. To us, it's very important to consider the price insiders pay for shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock when an insider has bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price. William Walker was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months.
You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!
Walker & Dunlop is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find small cap companies at attractive valuations, this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Insider Ownership Of Walker & Dunlop
Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It's great to see that Walker & Dunlop insiders own 5.4% of the company, worth about US$158m. Most shareholders would be happy to see this sort of insider ownership, since it suggests that management incentives are well aligned with other shareholders.
What Might The Insider Transactions At Walker & Dunlop Tell Us?
The recent insider purchase is heartening. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. Along with the high insider ownership, this analysis suggests that insiders are quite bullish about Walker & Dunlop. Looks promising! In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Walker & Dunlop. You'd be interested to know, that we found 1 warning sign for Walker & Dunlop and we suggest you have a look.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.
For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.