Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Trading Up 4.2% – Should You Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price was up 4.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $183.45 and last traded at $184.1250. Approximately 1,429 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 98% from the average daily volume of 62,989 shares. The stock had previously closed at $176.68.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 0.6%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $146.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $141.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.91 and a beta of 0.80.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company had revenue of $154.40 million during 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. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 9.58%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company’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 value of $453,254.00. Following the completion of 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 sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders sold 15,600 shares of company stock valued at $1,959,176. Corporate insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% during the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 461 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $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.