Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $5.86 EPS

Key Points

• Willis Lease Finance reported $8.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, significantly exceeding the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, with a yield of 0.7%, to be paid on August 21st to shareholders of record on August 12th.
• CEO Austin Chandler Willis and President Brian Richard Hole both sold significant amounts of company stock recently, indicating a 6.75% and 1.73% decrease in their ownership, respectively.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86, Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.21% and a return on equity of 19.69%.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

NASDAQ:WLFC traded up $5.92 on Tuesday, reaching $144.15. 29,592 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 77,025. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $140.21 and a 200-day simple moving average of $157.29. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 2.17 and a quick ratio of 1.61. Willis Lease Finance has a 52 week low of $89.43 and a 52 week high of $235.43. The firm has a market cap of $1.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.87 and a beta of 1.13.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm 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 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value of $483,034.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 196,181 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,467,301.81. The trade was a 1.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 7,295 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.16, for a total transaction of $1,058,942.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the president directly owned 100,760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,626,321.60. The trade was a 6.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 39,895 shares of company stock worth $5,488,698. 53.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter valued at about $563,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,283,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.

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