Austin Chandler Willis Sells 3,400 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm’s 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 owned 174,273 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $23,232,333.63. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

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 shares were 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 stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total transaction of $56,375.28.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 587 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were 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 shares were 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 stock was sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $430,168.00.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $148.71 on Thursday. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $114.01 and a 1 year high of $229.67. The company has a market cap of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.90 and a beta of 0.80. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $129.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $137.78.

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

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%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,049,000 after acquiring an additional 61,878 shares during the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 461 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 109.8% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 6,774 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $929,000 after purchasing an additional 3,545 shares in the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter valued at $510,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 3.6% during the third quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,270 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $6,069,000 after purchasing an additional 1,525 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by 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.