Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Sells $453,254.00 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.31, for a total transaction of $453,254.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 174,273 shares in the company, valued at $23,232,333.63. This trade represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

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

• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,232 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $268,576.56.
• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,813 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $338,488.29.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 468 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $56,375.28.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 587 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $70,710.02.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,700 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $341,604.00.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $430,168.00.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock traded up $3.37 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $145.26. 38,450 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 60,648. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 1 year low of $114.01 and a 1 year high of $229.67. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $128.54 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.66. The stock has a market capitalization of $989.22 million, a P/E ratio of 8.70 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.50.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.34 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 20.58%.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is a positive change from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date was Monday, November 17th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is currently 9.58%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. M3F Inc. grew its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.1% during the second quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 566,941 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $80,948,000 after purchasing an additional 32,680 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth about $409,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 16.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 82,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,796,000 after buying an additional 11,745 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 48.7% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,949 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.0% during the 2nd quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. now owns 39,839 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,688,000 after acquiring an additional 7,196 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

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.