Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Charles Iv Willis Sells 19,300 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 19,300 WLFC shares at an average price of $55.87, generating approximately $1.08 million; he retains 2.57 million shares.
• Willis Lease Finance shares fell 4.1% to $55.09, well below their 50-day moving average of $70.22, despite the company reporting quarterly EPS of $1.31 and revenue of $194.02 million, both above estimates.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Buy” rating and a $71 price target, while the company’s quarterly dividend equates to a 1.0% yield.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 19,300 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.87, for a total value of $1,078,291.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 2,565,643 shares of the company's stock, valued at $143,342,474.41. This represents a 0.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 4.1%

WLFC traded down $2.37 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $55.09. The company had a trading volume of 220,568 shares, compared to its average volume of 260,025. The company has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a PE ratio of 13.82 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a one year low of $38.00 and a one year high of $81.54. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $70.22 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.64.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 14.11% and a net margin of 11.80%.The business had revenue of $194.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of $0.133 per share. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 13.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently commented on WLFC shares. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Freedom Capital upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $71.00.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $48,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $95,000 after acquiring an additional 461 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $109,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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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