Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sets New 1-Year High - Here's Why

Key Points

• Stock surge: Willis Lease Finance hit a new 52-week high intraday at $217.54 and last traded around $209.25 on volume of 134,850 shares, trading well above its 50- and 200-day moving averages ($187.95 and $158.03).
• Mixed quarterly results: The company reported EPS of $1.52 (missing the $3.38 estimate) while revenue of $193.62M comfortably beat the $149M consensus, with a reported ROE of 18% and net margin of 15.38%.
• Insider selling and analyst view: The CEO and chairman recently sold shares (insiders sold ~22,797 shares worth ~$3.96M over three months), and Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "Hold (C+)" with a consensus rating of Hold.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report)'s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $217.54 and last traded at $209.2490, with a volume of 134850 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $209.77.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Friday, March 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance presently has a consensus rating of "Hold".

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 1.4%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08, a current ratio of 3.86 and a quick ratio of 3.52. The business's 50-day moving average is $187.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $158.03. The firm has a market cap of $1.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.42 and a beta of 0.76.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.38 by ($1.86). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 15.38%.The business had revenue of $193.62 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.00 million.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total value of $590,070.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 183,475 shares in the company, valued at $31,842,086.25. This trade represents a 1.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total transaction of $1,654,465.43. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 933,234 shares in the company, valued at $158,733,771.06. This represents a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 22,797 shares of company stock valued at $3,964,697 over the last three months. 57.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth approximately $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% during the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $95,000 after acquiring an additional 461 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at $109,000. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation NASDAQ: WLFC is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.

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