Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Sells 3,400 Shares of Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 184,746 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,314,722.04. The trade was a 1.81% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, January 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.31, for a total transaction of $453,254.00.
• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,232 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $268,576.56.
• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,813 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total value of $338,488.29.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 468 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $56,375.28.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 587 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total transaction of $70,710.02.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 3.0%

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock traded up $5.57 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $192.31. 89,736 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 61,628. The stock has a market cap of $1.31 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.52 and a beta of 0.79. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $149.47 and its 200 day moving average price is $142.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.50. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $114.01 and a 12-month high of $211.00.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.34 by ($0.09). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 20.58%. The business had revenue of $154.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.58%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in 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 buying an additional 461 shares during the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $109,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.