Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Sells $1,161,578.88 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 5,184 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $224.07, for a total value of $1,161,578.88. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 150,296 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,676,824.72. This represents a 3.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of WLFC opened at $220.73 on Thursday. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52-week low of $114.01 and a 52-week high of $244.62. 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 business’s 50 day moving average price is $26.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $22.01. The firm has a market cap of $1.55 billion, a PE ratio of 13.41 and a beta of 0.72.

Willis Lease Finance’s stock is set to split before the market opens on Monday, July 20th. The 3-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 23rd. The newly issued shares will be payable to shareholders after the closing bell on Friday, July 17th.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. LSV Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $1,462,000. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 780.3% in the 4th quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 33,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,537,000 after acquiring an additional 29,652 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter valued at about $2,958,000. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $418,000. Finally, Palisades Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 2.1% in the fourth quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,188 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,874,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

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.