Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) President Sells $1,372,488.46 in Stock

Key Points

• Brian Richard Hole, President of Willis Lease Finance Corporation, sold 9,142 shares of stock on August 11th for a total value of approximately $1.37 million, lowering his ownership by 9.25% to 89,640 shares.
• The company reported an earnings per share of $8.43 for the last quarter, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations of $2.57, along with a revenue of $195.50 million.
• Willis Lease Finance will pay a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share on August 21st, representing an annualized dividend yield of 0.6%.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total transaction of $1,372,488.46. Following the sale, the president owned 89,640 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,457,653.20. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Brian Richard Hole also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, August 8th, Brian Richard Hole sold 600 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.17, for a total transaction of $90,102.00.
• On Thursday, August 7th, Brian Richard Hole sold 120 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.00, for a total value of $18,000.00.
• On Wednesday, August 6th, Brian Richard Hole sold 1,296 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.51, for a total value of $195,060.96.
• On Friday, June 27th, Brian Richard Hole sold 7,295 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.16, for a total value of $1,058,942.20.
• On Tuesday, May 27th, Brian Richard Hole sold 2,893 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.72, for a total value of $386,851.96.
• On Friday, May 23rd, Brian Richard Hole sold 2,807 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.49, for a total value of $369,092.43.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 3.5%

Willis Lease Finance stock traded down $5.74 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $157.00. 54,449 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 68,772. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $143.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $155.43. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $97.11 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The firm has a market cap of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.33 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86. The business had revenue of $195.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $134.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is presently 5.95%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 15.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 142,100 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $29,493,000 after buying an additional 19,078 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 147.9% in the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,289 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $890,000 after purchasing an additional 2,559 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 102.9% in the fourth quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,820 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $585,000 after purchasing an additional 1,430 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at about $419,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 780.8% in the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 687 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $143,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

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.