Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.09 EPS

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.34 by ($0.09), Zacks reports. The firm had revenue of $183.39 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of WLFC stock traded down $6.32 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $119.81. 24,549 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 71,132. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. The company has a market capitalization of $815.91 million, a PE ratio of 7.16 and a beta of 1.06. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $139.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $141.64. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $115.21 and a 12-month high of $235.43.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the president owned 89,640 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,457,653.20. This represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total transaction of $493,510.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 189,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,500,554.45. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 47,258 shares of company stock worth $7,211,666. Company insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its stake 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 purchasing an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $54,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $109,000. Creative Planning purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $223,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $269,000 after buying an additional 270 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Lease Finance has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.