Key Points
- CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance at an average price of $73.34, generating approximately $1.1 million and reducing his direct stake by 3.33%.
- Willis Lease Finance reported stronger-than-expected quarterly results, with adjusted EPS of $1.31 versus the $0.90 consensus and revenue of $194.0 million versus estimates of $175.0 million.
- The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.133 per share, equivalent to $0.53 annually and a yield of about 0.8%; analysts’ overall rating remains “Moderate Buy.”
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.34, for a total value of $1,100,100.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 435,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,968,025.92. The trade was a 3.33% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.
Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Wednesday, July 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,552 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total value of $1,161,578.88.
Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance
Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $65.21 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.38 billion, a PE ratio of 16.36 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.43. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $70.64 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.88. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a one year low of $38.00 and a one year high of $81.54.
Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.33%. The business had revenue of $194.02 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $175.00 million.
Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend
The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.133 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 9.65%.
More Willis Lease Finance News
Here are the key news stories impacting Willis Lease Finance this week:
- Positive Sentiment: WLFC reported second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.31, exceeding the $0.90 analyst consensus, while revenue of $194.0 million topped expectations of $175.0 million. Income from operations rose 20.2% year over year to $34.0 million, and adjusted EBITDA increased 4.0% to $120.7 million. Willis Lease Finance Q2 2026 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Core aviation activity remained constructive: lease rent revenue increased 6.7% to $77.1 million, gains on leased-equipment sales rose 16.2% to $32.0 million, and assets under management expanded 21% year over year to $4.4 billion. Management also highlighted $1.3 billion of discretionary fund capital available for deployment and a new Pratt & Whitney engine-storage agreement, supporting the company’s expansion into asset management and aviation services. Willis Lease Capital and Pratt & Whitney Deal
- Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings-call commentary emphasized growth in Willis Aviation Capital, new investment-fund partnerships and broader service opportunities. However, execution will depend on deploying available capital profitably while managing aviation-cycle, interest-rate and asset-value risks. WLFC Earnings Call Highlights
- Negative Sentiment: Net income attributable to common shareholders fell 51.2% to $28.7 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, partly because the prior-year period included a $43.0 million gain from the sale of the BAML business. Total quarterly revenue also edged lower year over year, while general and administrative and technical expenses increased.
- Negative Sentiment: CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,000 shares for approximately $1.1 million, reducing his direct ownership by 3.33%. The sale may weigh on sentiment, particularly alongside broader recent insider-selling activity, although it does not necessarily indicate a change in the company’s outlook. SEC Insider Trading Filing
Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance
A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 102,259 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $13,870,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793 shares during the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 9.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 101,386 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $13,899,000 after purchasing an additional 9,052 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 15.0% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 92,194 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $12,639,000 after purchasing an additional 12,000 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 73,452 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $9,965,000 after purchasing an additional 947 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $9,049,000 after purchasing an additional 61,878 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company's stock.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Freedom Capital lowered shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".
Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Willis Lease Finance
About Willis Lease Finance
(
Get Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
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