Charles Iv Willis Sells 31,400 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Key Points

• Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 31,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance at an average price of $57.93, generating approximately $1.82 million. He continues to own 2.61 million shares after the transaction.
• WLFC shares fell 4.1% to $55.09, trading below both their 50-day and 200-day moving averages. The stock has a 12-month range of $38.00 to $81.54.
• Willis Lease Finance exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share versus the $0.90 consensus and revenue of $194.02 million versus $175 million expected. Analysts maintain an average “Buy” rating with a $71 price target.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 31,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.93, for a total value of $1,819,002.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 2,612,443 shares of the company's stock, valued at $151,338,822.99. This represents a 1.19% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 4.1%

WLFC stock traded down $2.37 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $55.09. 220,568 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 260,025. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $70.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $65.64. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $38.00 and a 12-month high of $81.54. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27.

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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a $0.133 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at approximately $229,000. Empowered Funds LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $6,350,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $321,000. Philadelphia Financial Management of San Francisco LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $16,648,176,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at $10,423,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts recently commented on WLFC shares. Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. UBS Group set a $71.00 price objective on Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Lease Finance has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $71.00.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

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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