Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Here's Why

Key Points

• Shares of Willis Lease Finance (WLFC) crossed above their 200‑day moving average of $160.42, trading as high as $205.63 and last at $189.32 on Monday with about 69,744 shares changing hands.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $1.52, missing estimates of $3.38 while beating revenue expectations ($193.62M vs. $149.0M); Willis Lease has a market cap of $1.47B and a PE of 12.29.
• Insiders sold 22,797 shares (≈$3.96M) in the past 90 days, including recent sales by the CEO and chairman, even as institutional investors increased holdings with notable inflows from firms like Millennium, M3F and First Trust.

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $160.42 and traded as high as $205.63. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $189.32, with a volume of 69,744 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The business's 50 day moving average is $187.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $160.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.47 billion, a PE ratio of 12.29 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08, a current ratio of 3.86 and a quick ratio of 3.52.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 183,475 shares of the company's stock, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 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 stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The shares were 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. The trade was 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 worth $3,964,697 over the last ninety days. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,049,000 after acquiring an additional 61,878 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth approximately $8,073,000. M3F Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.9% in the third quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 606,026 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $83,080,000 after purchasing an additional 39,085 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 357.4% in the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 40,289 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $5,752,000 after purchasing an additional 31,480 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 780.3% in the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 33,452 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $4,537,000 after purchasing an additional 29,652 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Willis Lease Finance

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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