Austin Chandler Willis Sells 5,184 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 5,184 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.07, for a total value of $1,161,578.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 150,296 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,676,824.72. This represents a 3.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 6.1%

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC traded up $13.75 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $240.26. 206,320 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 92,304. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.60 and a beta of 0.72. The company’s 50-day moving average is $197.93 and its 200-day moving average is $184.17. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52-week low of $114.01 and a 52-week high of $244.62.

Shares of Willis Lease Finance are scheduled to split on the morning of Monday, July 20th. The 3-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 23rd. The newly minted shares will be issued to shareholders after the closing bell on Monday, July 6th.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $4.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $1.01. The business had revenue of $194.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 19.22%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 9.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

WLFC has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Freedom Capital downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $109,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.