Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Sells $735,165.90 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 4,270 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.17, for a total transaction of $735,165.90. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 942,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $162,349,595.37. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $162.95 on Tuesday. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $114.01 and a 12-month high of $207.05. The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $186.05 and a 200-day moving average price of $153.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.11 billion, a PE ratio of 10.57 and a beta of 0.75.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.38 by ($1.86). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.38% and a return on equity of 18.00%. The firm had revenue of $193.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 10.38%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter worth $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings 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 stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $54,000. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in 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. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Friday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.