Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Large Volume Increase - Should You Buy?

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 258,413 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 355% from the previous session's volume of 56,801 shares.The stock last traded at $141.59 and had previously closed at $135.84.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 2.7%

The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95. The company has a market capitalization of $1.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.44 and a beta of 1.04. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $139.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $166.09.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 6th. The transportation company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.41 by ($2.20). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.69% and a net margin of 17.21%. The company had revenue of $157.73 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 12th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 6.85%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 11,250 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $135.95, for a total value of $1,529,437.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 987,046 shares in the company, valued at approximately $134,188,903.70. This trade represents a 1.13% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 7,295 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.16, for a total transaction of $1,058,942.20. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 100,760 shares in the company, valued at $14,626,321.60. This trade represents a 6.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 39,895 shares of company stock worth $5,488,698. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $133,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter valued at about $897,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter valued at about $312,000. GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 205,266.7% during the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,161 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $973,000 after purchasing an additional 6,158 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 68.5% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,324 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $482,000 after purchasing an additional 945 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

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.