Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis Sells 15,000 Shares

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.34, for a total value of $1,100,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 435,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,968,025.92. This represents a 3.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink.

Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, July 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,552 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $1,161,578.88.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 7.7%

WLFC stock opened at $65.21 on Thursday. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a twelve month low of $38.00 and a twelve month high of $81.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.36 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $70.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $65.88.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its earnings results 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 net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.33%. The firm 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a $0.133 dividend. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 9.65%.

Trending Headlines about Willis Lease Finance

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

• Positive Sentiment: WLFC reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.31, exceeding the $0.90 analyst consensus, while revenue of $194.0 million topped expectations of $175.0 million. Income from operations rose 20.2% year over year to $34.0 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 4.0% to $120.7 million. Willis Lease Finance Q2 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Core aviation activity remained constructive: lease rent revenue increased 6.7% to $77.1 million, gains on leased-equipment sales rose 16.2% to $32.0 million, and assets under management expanded 21% year over year to $4.4 billion. Management also highlighted $1.3 billion of discretionary fund capital available for deployment and a new Pratt & Whitney engine-storage agreement, supporting the company’s expansion into asset management and aviation services. Willis Lease Capital and Pratt & Whitney Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings-call commentary emphasized growth in Willis Aviation Capital, new investment-fund partnerships and broader service opportunities. However, execution will depend on deploying available capital profitably while managing aviation-cycle, interest-rate and asset-value risks. WLFC Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Net income attributable to common shareholders fell 51.2% to $28.7 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, partly because the prior-year period included a $43.0 million gain from the sale of the BAML business. Total quarterly revenue also edged lower year over year, while general and administrative and technical expenses increased.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares for approximately $1.1 million, reducing his direct ownership by 3.33%. The sale may weigh on sentiment, particularly alongside broader recent insider-selling activity, although it does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Trading Filing

Analysts Set New Price Targets

WLFC has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Freedom Capital cut Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One 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 stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 3.0% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,696 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $385,000 after buying an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,848 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,144 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $291,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,889 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,783,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.