Key Points
- Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 11,400 WLFC shares at an average price of $54.51, generating $621,414. He retains 2,507,743 shares, and the sale reduced his ownership by 0.45%.
- Willis Lease Finance reported quarterly EPS of $1.31, beating estimates of $0.90, while revenue of $194.02 million exceeded the $175 million consensus forecast.
- WLFC shares opened at $55.11, below their 50-day and 200-day moving averages; analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with a $71 price target, while institutional investors own 93.7% of the stock.
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 11,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.51, for a total value of $621,414.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 2,507,743 shares in the company, valued at approximately $136,697,070.93. This represents a 0.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.
Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance
NASDAQ WLFC opened at $55.11 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $65.27. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $38.00 and a 12-month high of $81.54. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The company has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.82 and a beta of 0.74.
Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 EPS 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 14.11%. The business had revenue of $194.02 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.00 million.
Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a dividend of $0.133 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is presently 13.28%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several equities analysts recently weighed in on WLFC shares. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Freedom Capital raised Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, UBS Group set a $71.00 price objective on Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $71.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WLFC
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance
Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 780.3% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 33,452 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,537,000 after acquiring an additional 29,652 shares in the last quarter. LSV Asset Management purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth $1,462,000. Jennison Associates LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the 4th quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 5,153 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $699,000 after buying an additional 235 shares in the last quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $321,000. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $3,722,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
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.
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