Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Sells $483,034.50 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total transaction of $483,034.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 196,181 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,467,301.81. The trade was a 1.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Monday, June 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.37, for a total transaction of $453,226.50.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC traded up $6.51 during trading on Friday, hitting $140.11. The company had a trading volume of 79,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 54,258. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $66.05 and a 12 month high of $235.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.60 and a beta of 1.04. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $141.29 and a 200 day simple moving average of $168.34.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The transportation company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.41 by ($2.20). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.69% and a net margin of 17.21%. The firm had revenue of $157.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 6.85%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. M3F Inc. raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.0% during the first quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 534,261 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $84,397,000 after acquiring an additional 30,032 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 511,472 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $106,154,000 after purchasing an additional 17,500 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 7.3% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 152,536 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $24,096,000 after purchasing an additional 10,436 shares during the period. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 23.6% in the 1st quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 96,900 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $15,307,000 after purchasing an additional 18,519 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 9.6% in the 1st quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. now owns 32,643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $5,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,867 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut Willis Lease Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Leasing and Related Operations, and Spare Parts Sales. The Leasing and Related Operations segment engages in acquiring and leasing commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment, as well as the purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines and other aircraft equipment, and other related businesses.