KBC Group NV Buys 16,700 Shares of FTAI Aviation Ltd. $FTAI

Key Points

• KBC Group NV boosted its stake in FTAI Aviation by 591.2% in the first quarter, buying 16,700 additional shares and bringing its total holding to 19,525 shares worth about $4.78 million.
• FTAI Aviation shares were down 2.6% in Friday trading, and the stock was quoted at $216.81, below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• The company reported Q1 earnings of $1.29 per share, missing estimates, though revenue rose 65.4% year over year to $830.7 million; analysts still see upside, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a target price of $340.62.

KBC Group NV increased its stake in FTAI Aviation Ltd. (NASDAQ:FTAI - Free Report) by 591.2% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 19,525 shares of the financial services provider's stock after purchasing an additional 16,700 shares during the quarter. KBC Group NV's holdings in FTAI Aviation were worth $4,784,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SEB Asset Management AB bought a new position in FTAI Aviation in the 1st quarter worth about $5,154,000. Swiss National Bank increased its position in shares of FTAI Aviation by 48.9% during the first quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 301,000 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $73,745,000 after buying an additional 98,808 shares during the period. Mediolanum International Funds Ltd bought a new stake in shares of FTAI Aviation during the first quarter valued at about $1,313,000. Freemont Management S.A. bought a new position in shares of FTAI Aviation in the first quarter valued at approximately $6,664,000. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of FTAI Aviation in the first quarter valued at approximately $51,000. 88.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

FTAI Aviation Stock Down 2.6%

FTAI opened at $216.81 on Friday. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $242.53 and its 200 day simple moving average is $254.73. FTAI Aviation Ltd. has a 52 week low of $109.90 and a 52 week high of $323.51. The company has a quick ratio of 2.48, a current ratio of 5.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.00. The stock has a market cap of $22.24 billion, a PE ratio of 43.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.46.

FTAI Aviation (NASDAQ:FTAI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The financial services provider reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.61 by ($0.32). FTAI Aviation had a return on equity of 181.43% and a net margin of 18.92%.The firm had revenue of $830.70 million for the quarter. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.87 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 65.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that FTAI Aviation Ltd. will post 6.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FTAI Aviation Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, May 26th. Investors of record on Wednesday, May 13th were given a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, May 13th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. FTAI Aviation's payout ratio is presently 31.75%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

FTAI has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of FTAI Aviation from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. BTIG Research boosted their price target on shares of FTAI Aviation from $340.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a "buy" rating and set a $400.00 price objective on shares of FTAI Aviation in a research note on Sunday, May 3rd. Citizens Jmp assumed coverage on FTAI Aviation in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. They set a "market outperform" rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded FTAI Aviation from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Friday, July 17th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $340.62.

Insider Activity at FTAI Aviation

In other FTAI Aviation news, Director Martin Tuchman sold 67,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $241.99, for a total value of $16,334,325.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 210,491 shares of the company's stock, valued at $50,936,717.09. This represents a 24.28% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Judith A. Hannaway sold 255 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $253.89, for a total transaction of $64,741.95. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,012 shares in the company, valued at $764,716.68. The trade was a 7.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 254,515 shares of company stock valued at $61,599,445. 1.35% of the stock is owned by insiders.

About FTAI Aviation

FTAI Aviation NASDAQ: FTAI is a commercial aircraft leasing company that acquires, manages and leases wide-body jet aircraft to airlines globally. The company's portfolio is focused on modern, fuel-efficient Boeing models, including the 767, 777 and 787 families, which are deployed under long-term operating leases. By concentrating on in-demand wide-body assets, FTAI Aviation seeks to deliver stable cash flows through lease rentals and maintenance reserve collections while providing airlines with flexible fleet solutions.

In addition to lease origination, FTAI Aviation offers end-to-end asset management services.

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