Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Issues Earnings Results

Key Points

• EPS beat: Willis Lease Finance reported quarterly EPS of $4.03, beating the $3.02 consensus by $1.01, with a net margin of 15.38% and a return on equity of 18.00%.
• Insider sales: Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares (~$170.09 each) and CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares (~$173.55 each); insiders sold 19,397 shares (~$3.33M) in the last three months but still own 53.32% of the company.
• Valuation & ownership: Shares trade near $195.87 (52‑week range $114.01–$217.54) with a market cap of $1.49B and a P/E of 12.71; analyst consensus is a "Hold" and institutional investors own 93.7%.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $4.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.02 by $1.01, Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.38% and a return on equity of 18.00%.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 0.1%

WLFC opened at $195.87 on Tuesday. Willis Lease Finance has a fifty-two week low of $114.01 and a fifty-two week high of $217.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a current ratio of 3.86. The company has a market capitalization of $1.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.71 and a beta of 0.81. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $186.56 and a 200-day moving average of $161.66.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Friday, March 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Lease Finance presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on 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 completion of the sale, the chairman owned 933,234 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $158,733,771.06. This trade represents a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on 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 directly owned 183,475 shares of the company's stock, valued at $31,842,086.25. This represents a 1.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 19,397 shares of company stock valued at $3,333,181 in the last three months. Insiders own 53.32% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. Millennium Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $9,049,000 after buying an additional 61,878 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $8,073,000. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 357.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 40,289 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $5,752,000 after buying an additional 31,480 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 951.4% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 27,346 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,904,000 after buying an additional 24,745 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 112.1% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 32,543 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,414,000 after buying an additional 17,201 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

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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