Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Large Volume Increase - Time to Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Friday . Approximately 27,406 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the previous session's volume of 37,942 shares.The stock last traded at $133.01 and had previously closed at $131.86.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.59 and a beta of 1.13. The company's fifty day moving average is $142.79 and its 200 day moving average is $178.73.

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). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The business had revenue of $157.73 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.74%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 6.85%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 2,807 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.49, for a total transaction of $369,092.43. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 110,948 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,588,552.52. This represents a 2.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.14, for a total transaction of $704,283.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 158,034 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,261,060.76. This represents a 2.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 19,165 shares of company stock worth $3,195,018. Corporate insiders own 53.85% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $257,000. Bleakley Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $297,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.9% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 34,628 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $7,187,000 after buying an additional 1,620 shares during the last quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth approximately $16,268,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 7,073 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,468,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.