Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – What’s Next?

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $141.10 and traded as high as $185.71. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $182.29, with a volume of 40,982 shares.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44. The company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.92 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $143.07 and a 200 day moving average price of $141.10.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly 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). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 20.58%. The business had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 9.58%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.31, for a total transaction of $453,254.00. Following the completion of 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 at this hyperlink. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 15,600 shares of company stock valued at $1,959,176. 57.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. 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 in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% in the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth about $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 461 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth about $109,000. 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.