Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Plans $0.40 Quarterly Dividend

Key Points

• Willis Lease Finance announced a $0.40 quarterly dividend payable May 22 to shareholders of record May 11, implying a 0.7% yield and a dividend payout ratio of 11%, indicating earnings coverage.
• WLFC stock surged about 17.0% to $229.09 on heavy volume after reporting mixed quarterly results—EPS of $1.52 missed the $3.38 estimate while revenue of $193.6 million topped the $149 million forecast.
• Insiders, including the chairman and CEO, sold shares in late March/early April (19,397 shares sold last quarter) under a Rule 10b5‑1 plan but still hold 53.32% of the company, while institutional investors/hedge funds own roughly 93.7%.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, May 5th. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th will be given a dividend of 0.40 per share by the transportation company on Friday, May 22nd. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, May 11th.

Willis Lease Finance has a dividend payout ratio of 11.0% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 17.0%

WLFC stock traded up $33.22 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $229.09. 126,700 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 65,190. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $186.56 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $161.66. The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 14.87 and a beta of 0.81. Willis Lease Finance has a 1-year low of $114.01 and a 1-year high of $229.72.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.38 by ($1.86). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 15.38%.The firm had revenue of $193.62 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $149.00 million.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total transaction 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. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total value of $590,070.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 183,475 shares in the company, valued at $31,842,086.25. This trade represents a 1.82% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 19,397 shares of company stock worth $3,333,181 in the last quarter. Insiders own 53.32% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Shikiar Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter valued at approximately $2,123,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $349,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 24.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,199 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $705,000 after purchasing an additional 1,029 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,889 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,783,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. Finally, XTX Topco Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $354,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company's stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

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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