Key Points
- Executive sale: EVP Scott Flaherty sold 8,326 WLFC shares at an average price of $53.56, generating $445,940.56 and reducing his stake by 3.74% to 214,324 shares.
- Strong quarterly results: Willis Lease Finance reported quarterly EPS of $1.31, beating estimates by $0.41, while revenue of $192.83 million exceeded expectations of $175 million.
- Analyst outlook remains positive: The stock carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $75.50 price target, despite shares opening at $54.31 and trading below their 52-week high of $81.54.
Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) EVP Scott Flaherty sold 2,979 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.18, for a total transaction of $167,360.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 241,345 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,558,762.10. This trade represents a 1.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Willis Lease Finance Price Performance
NASDAQ WLFC opened at $54.31 on Wednesday. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $38.00 and a 12 month high of $81.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.62, a P/E/G ratio of 3.17 and a beta of 0.72. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $64.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.31.
Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its 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 firm had revenue of $192.83 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 11.80%. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Willis Lease Finance Corporation will post 5.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were issued a $0.133 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is 13.28%.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance
Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 39.3% during the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,260 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $555,000 after buying an additional 920 shares in the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth about $229,000. Cetera Investment Advisers purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter worth about $220,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth about $321,000. Finally, Jupiter Topco LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth about $343,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WLFC shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 target price on Willis Lease Finance and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Willis Lease Finance to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $75.50.
View Our Latest Report on WLFC
Willis Lease Finance Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Willis Lease Finance Corporation is an aviation services company that provides commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and related equipment to airlines, aircraft operators and other aviation customers. The company's leasing activities include short-term and long-term operating leases, as well as engine and equipment financing solutions designed to support fleet operations and maintenance planning.
In addition to leasing, Willis Lease Finance offers engine management, maintenance and asset management services.
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