UBS Group AG Sells 32,373 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Key Points

• UBS Group AG cut its WLFC stake by 35.1% in the fourth quarter, selling 32,373 shares and leaving it with 59,821 shares valued at about $8.1 million.
• Willis Lease Finance posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results, reporting EPS of $4.03 versus estimates of $3.02 and revenue of $194.35 million, while also announcing a quarterly dividend of $0.40 per share.
• Insider selling and mixed analyst sentiment were also highlighted, with the CEO and chairman selling shares recently and analysts split between Buy and Hold views, resulting in an overall “Moderate Buy” rating.

UBS Group AG lessened its holdings in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 35.1% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 59,821 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 32,373 shares during the quarter. UBS Group AG owned 0.88% of Willis Lease Finance worth $8,114,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the period. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at $109,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at $129,000. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $180.03 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94 and a beta of 0.81. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25. The firm's 50 day moving average is $189.10 and its 200 day moving average is $166.97. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $114.01 and a 12 month high of $239.44.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $4.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $1.01. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.22% and a net margin of 15.72%.The company had revenue of $194.35 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is presently 9.72%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total transaction of $590,070.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 183,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,842,086.25. The trade was a 1.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total value of $1,654,465.43. Following the sale, the chairman owned 933,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $158,733,771.06. The trade was a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 19,397 shares of company stock worth $3,333,181. 53.32% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on WLFC shares. Freedom Capital lowered Willis Lease Finance from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy".

Willis Lease Finance 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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