Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Significant Increase in Short Interest

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of July. As of July 31st, there was short interest totaling 2,040,210 shares, an increase of 229.9% from the July 15th total of 618,367 shares. Approximately 20.7% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 255,243 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.0 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings cut Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $71.00.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 4.9%

Willis Lease Finance stock traded down $2.80 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $54.24. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 92,051 shares, compared to its average volume of 277,382. Willis Lease Finance has a 52-week low of $38.00 and a 52-week high of $81.54. The company has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.59 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $70.66 and its 200 day moving average is $65.79.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.41. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 11.80%.The business had revenue of $194.02 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be paid a $0.133 dividend. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 13.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.34, for a total value of $1,100,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 435,888 shares in the company, valued at $31,968,025.92. This trade represents a 3.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 53.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter worth about $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in 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 buying an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased 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 worth $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $109,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.