Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Cut to Hold (C+) at Weiss Ratings

Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) from a buy (b-) rating to a hold (c+) rating in a report released on Friday morning,Weiss Ratings reports.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 1.7%

Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $131.51 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $142.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a current ratio of 5.98 and a quick ratio of 5.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $895.58 million, a PE ratio of 7.82 and a beta of 1.06. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $124.90 and a 12-month high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%. The business had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $134.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.95%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total transaction of $493,510.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 189,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,500,554.45. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total transaction of $1,372,488.46. Following the sale, the president directly owned 89,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,457,653.20. This represents a 9.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 47,258 shares of company stock valued at $7,211,666 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $54,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 32.7% in the 2nd quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 820 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $117,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Leasing and Related Operations, and Spare Parts Sales. The Leasing and Related Operations segment engages in acquiring and leasing commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment, as well as the purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines and other aircraft equipment, and other related businesses.