Scott Flaherty Sells 2,979 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) EVP Scott Flaherty sold 2,979 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.18, for a total value of $167,360.22. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 241,345 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $13,558,762.10. The trade was a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $55.14 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.63. The firm has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $63.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.13. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $38.00 and a fifty-two week high of $81.54.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.11%. The firm had revenue of $192.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million. On average, analysts expect that Willis Lease Finance Corporation will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th were issued a $0.133 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 13.28%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at about $360,000. AXQ Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $562,000. Susquehanna Advisors Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,185,000. Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $526,000. Finally, Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $229,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on WLFC shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Freedom Capital raised Willis Lease Finance from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 target price on Willis Lease Finance and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. Zacks Research upgraded Willis Lease Finance to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, UBS Group set a $71.00 price target on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.50.

Willis Lease Finance News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Willis Lease Finance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: WLFC’s most recent quarterly results showed earnings of $1.31 per share, well above the $0.90 consensus estimate, while revenue of $192.83 million also exceeded expectations. Analysts continue to see upside, with a reported consensus target price of $75.50 and Deutsche Bank maintaining an $80 target and a buy rating. Willis Lease Finance market and analyst data
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership remains high at approximately 93.7%, and several investment firms recently initiated or increased positions. This may provide some longer-term support, although it has not offset the recent concerns surrounding management activity. Willis Lease Finance insider activity
• Negative Sentiment: Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LLP announced an investigation into WLFC’s board and executive chairman Charles F. Willis concerning executive compensation. The announcement is an allegation and does not establish wrongdoing, but it raises governance and potential shareholder-litigation risks that can weigh on the stock. WLFC compensation investigation announcement
• Negative Sentiment: EVP Scott Flaherty reported sales totaling 30,000 shares across September 11, 14 and 15, worth approximately $1.63 million. Although he retained a substantial position, the roughly 11% cumulative reduction in his reported holdings may be interpreted as a lack of near-term insider confidence and adds selling pressure. Scott Flaherty WLFC stock sale

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation is an aviation services company that provides commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and related equipment to airlines, aircraft operators and other aviation customers. The company’s leasing activities include short-term and long-term operating leases, as well as engine and equipment financing solutions designed to support fleet operations and maintenance planning.

In addition to leasing, Willis Lease Finance offers engine management, maintenance and asset management services.