Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Pass Above 200-Day Moving Average - What's Next?

Key Points

• Shares crossed above its 200-day moving average — the 200‑day MA is $152.67 and WLFC traded as high as $178.35, last at $176.96 on volume of 29,259 shares, signaling a potential bullish technical move.
• Quarterly results showed a $1.52 EPS versus a $3.38 consensus (missing by $1.86) while revenue beat at $193.62 million versus $149.00 million; the company has a $1.20 billion market cap and a PE of 11.48.
• Willis Lease pays a $0.40 quarterly dividend (annualized $1.60, yield 0.9%) and recently had a CEO sale of 3,400 shares; the report also notes high reported ownership levels with insiders at 57.02% and institutions at 93.70%.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $152.67 and traded as high as $178.35. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $176.96, with a volume of 29,259 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Monday, December 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold".

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.20 billion, a PE ratio of 11.48 and a beta of 0.75. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $186.61 and its 200 day moving average price is $152.67. The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 earnings per share (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 analysts' expectations of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 10.38%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $185.74, for a total value of $631,516.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 184,746 shares in the company, valued at $34,314,722.04. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 57.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. M3F Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.9% during the 3rd 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 period. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 102,259 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $13,870,000 after purchasing an additional 3,793 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 9.8% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 101,386 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $13,899,000 after purchasing an additional 9,052 shares during the period. UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 15.0% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 92,194 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $12,639,000 after buying an additional 12,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 16.6% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 82,607 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $11,796,000 after buying an additional 11,745 shares in the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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