Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Announces Earnings Results

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) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86, Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%. The firm had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $134.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 0.2%

NASDAQ:WLFC traded up $0.35 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $149.53. 67,176 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 79,940. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $89.43 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The business has a 50-day moving average of $141.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $156.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 5.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.89 and a beta of 1.13.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 5.95%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 11,250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.95, for a total transaction of $1,529,437.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 987,046 shares of the company's stock, valued at $134,188,903.70. This represents a 1.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.17, for a total transaction of $90,102.00. Following the sale, the president directly owned 98,782 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,834,092.94. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 41,911 shares of company stock valued at $5,791,861 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 53.85% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Creative Planning acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $223,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the 1st 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 acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $563,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% during the 1st 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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.

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.