Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Large Volume Increase - Here's Why

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Thursday . 150,704 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 271% from the previous session's volume of 40,595 shares.The stock last traded at $142.62 and had previously closed at $135.29.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, May 22nd.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 1.5%

The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $140.46 and a 200 day simple moving average of $176.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market cap of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 10.31 and a beta of 1.05.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The transportation company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.41 by ($2.20). The firm had revenue of $157.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $149.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.56% and a return on equity of 20.62%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is currently 6.85%.

Insider Activity

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 stock was 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 now owns 987,046 shares in the company, valued at $134,188,903.70. This represents a 1.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.37, for a total value of $453,226.50. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 199,744 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $26,240,369.28. The trade was a 1.70% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 39,165 shares of company stock valued at $5,681,512 over the last 90 days. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter valued at about $563,000. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the first quarter worth about $758,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 50,634.3% in the 1st quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 17,757 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $2,805,000 after purchasing an additional 17,722 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $2,283,000 after buying an additional 255 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 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.