Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) President Sells 7,295 Shares of Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) President Brian Richard Hole sold 7,295 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.16, for a total value of $1,058,942.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 100,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,626,321.60. The trade was a 6.75% 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.

Brian Richard Hole also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, May 27th, Brian Richard Hole sold 2,893 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.72, for a total transaction of $386,851.96.
• On Friday, May 23rd, Brian Richard Hole sold 2,807 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.49, for a total transaction of $369,092.43.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC traded down $3.76 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $133.60. The stock had a trading volume of 114,727 shares, compared to its average volume of 53,995. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $66.05 and a fifty-two week high of $235.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95. The company has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 9.15 and a beta of 1.04. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $141.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $168.87.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The transportation company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.41 by ($2.20). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.69% and a net margin of 17.21%. The firm had revenue of $157.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.85%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 27.4% in the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $62,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares during the period. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter worth approximately $104,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $133,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 780.8% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 687 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $143,000 after buying an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Truist Financial Corp acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth $208,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company's stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Leasing and Related Operations, and Spare Parts Sales. The Leasing and Related Operations segment engages in acquiring and leasing commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment, as well as the purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines and other aircraft equipment, and other related businesses.