Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Willis Lease Finance's stock price has crossed above its 200-day moving average of $147.61, with a recent high of $151.03, although the shares last traded at $145.81.
• The company's latest earnings report showed an impressive EPS of $8.43, significantly exceeding analysts' expectations, with revenue of $195.50 million compared to an estimate of $134.00 million.
• Insider selling has occurred, with Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis selling 30,000 shares at an average price of $155.02, indicating a 3.04% decrease in his position and total transactions exceeding $4.6 million.

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $147.61 and traded as high as $151.03. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $145.81, with a volume of 178,227 shares changing hands.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $147.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $147.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a current ratio of 5.98 and a quick ratio of 5.55. The stock has a market cap of $992.97 million, a PE ratio of 8.67 and a beta of 1.14.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $2.57 by $5.86. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.The firm had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $134.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 5.95%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total value of $1,372,488.46. Following the completion of the sale, the president owned 89,640 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,457,653.20. This represents a 9.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total value of $493,510.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 189,463 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,500,554.45. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 58,003 shares of company stock valued at $8,753,643 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 53.85% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% in the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth about $897,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth about $312,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 205,266.7% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 6,161 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $973,000 after buying an additional 6,158 shares during the period. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 68.5% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,324 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $482,000 after buying an additional 945 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

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.