Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Sells $4,650,600.00 in Stock

Key Points

• Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock for $4,650,600, reducing his ownership by 3.04% to approximately 957,046 shares.
• Willis Lease Finance reported an earnings per share (EPS) of $8.43 for the last quarter, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.57, with revenue reaching $195.50 million.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, representing a 0.6% yield and a payout ratio of 5.95%, payable on August 21st.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total transaction of $4,650,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 957,046 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,361,270.92. This represents a 3.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Willis Lease Finance stock traded down $6.58 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $162.74. 51,328 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 77,811. The stock's fifty day moving average is $142.91 and its 200-day moving average is $155.81. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $94.92 and a 12 month high of $235.43. The stock has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.68 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a quick ratio of 5.55, a current ratio of 5.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% in the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth approximately $54,000. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 780.8% during the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 687 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $143,000 after purchasing an additional 609 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.