Key Points
- CEO Austin Willis sold 15,000 WLFC shares at an average price of $53.90, generating $808,500 and reducing his holdings by 3.44% to 420,888 shares. This follows two additional sales totaling 30,552 shares in July and August.
- Willis Lease Finance reported quarterly earnings of $1.31 per share, beating the $0.90 analyst estimate, while revenue of $194.02 million also exceeded expectations.
- WLFC shares opened at $55.51, 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) CEO Austin Willis sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.90, for a total value of $808,500.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 420,888 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $22,685,863.20. This trade represents a 3.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.
Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Monday, August 3rd, Austin Willis sold 15,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.34, for a total value of $1,100,100.00.
- On Wednesday, July 1st, Austin 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 WLFC opened at $55.51 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.92 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The business's 50 day moving average is $67.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $64.85. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52-week low of $38.00 and a 52-week 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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $194.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.11%.
Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th were issued a $0.133 dividend. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is currently 13.28%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities analysts recently issued reports on WLFC shares. Freedom Capital upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $71.00.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Willis Lease Finance
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter valued at $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position 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 valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $109,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company's stock.
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.
See Also
This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].
