Scott Flaherty Sells 8,326 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Key Points

• Executive sale: EVP Scott Flaherty sold 8,326 Willis Lease Finance shares for approximately $445,941 at an average price of $53.56, reducing his stake by 3.74% to 214,324 shares.
• Quarterly performance: Willis Lease Finance reported adjusted earnings of $1.31 per share and revenue of $192.83 million, exceeding analyst estimates of $0.90 EPS and $175 million in revenue.
• Market outlook: Shares traded at $54.31, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $75.50; institutional investors own 93.7% of the company.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) EVP Scott Flaherty sold 8,326 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.56, for a total transaction of $445,940.56. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 214,324 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,479,193.44. The trade was a 3.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 0.5%

WLFC stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $54.31. 150,747 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 268,881. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $64.17 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.62, a P/E/G ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 0.72. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 1-year low of $38.00 and a 1-year high of $81.54.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. The business had revenue of $192.83 million for 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%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Willis Lease Finance Corporation will post 5.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were paid a $0.133 dividend. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on WLFC shares. Freedom Capital raised Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of 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 target on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Willis Lease Finance to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $75.50.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Navellier & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $229,000. Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter valued at $220,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at $321,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at $343,000. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $360,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation is an aviation services company that provides commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and related equipment to airlines, aircraft operators and other aviation customers. The company's leasing activities include short-term and long-term operating leases, as well as engine and equipment financing solutions designed to support fleet operations and maintenance planning.

In addition to leasing, Willis Lease Finance offers engine management, maintenance and asset management services.

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