Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results, Misses Estimates By $0.60 EPS

Key Points

• Willis Lease Finance reported quarterly EPS of $0.47, falling $0.60 short of the $1.07 analyst consensus estimate. The company posted a 14.11% return on equity and an 11.80% net margin.
• Shares opened at $43.96 and were reported up 5.7%, despite trading well below their 52-week high of $81.54. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average price target of $75.50.
• The company increased its quarterly dividend to $0.15, or $0.60 annually, producing a 1.4% yield. Insiders sold 196,700 shares worth approximately $10.9 million during the last quarter.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.60), Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 11.80%.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 5.7%

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $43.96 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $60.82. The stock has a market cap of $928.92 million, a P/E ratio of 11.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.26 and a beta of 0.76. 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 has a 1 year low of $36.39 and a 1 year high of $81.54.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Investors of record on Monday, November 16th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from Willis Lease Finance's previous quarterly dividend of $0.1330. The ex-dividend date is Monday, November 16th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 13.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WLFC has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 price objective on Willis Lease Finance and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Finally, Freedom Capital raised 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, one has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 15,600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.11, for a total value of $859,716.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 2,492,143 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $137,342,000.73. This trade represents a 0.62% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 8,326 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.56, for a total value of $445,940.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 214,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,479,193.44. This represents a 3.74% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 196,700 shares of company stock valued at $10,937,108 over the last quarter. 53.32% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation is a commercial aircraft engine lessor and aviation services company headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida. Founded in 1985, the company provides engines and related aviation assets to airlines, aircraft lessors, maintenance providers and other customers worldwide.

Its principal business is leasing spare and in-service commercial aircraft engines, including engines used for narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. Willis Lease Finance also provides engine portfolio management, maintenance and asset management services, and sells or leases aircraft engine parts and related equipment.

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