Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Trading 13.3% Higher Following Earnings Beat

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price was up 13.3% on Tuesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $215.10 and last traded at $222.0150. Approximately 24,950 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 61% from the average daily volume of 64,107 shares. The stock had previously closed at $195.87.

The transportation company reported $4.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $1.01. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 18.00% and a net margin of 15.38%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance has an average rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total transaction of $590,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 183,475 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,842,086.25. The trade was a 1.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total value of $1,654,465.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 933,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $158,733,771.06. This represents a 1.03% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 19,397 shares of company stock worth $3,333,181 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 53.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,283,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter worth approximately $563,000. Creative Planning acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $223,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 951.4% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 27,346 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,904,000 after acquiring an additional 24,745 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47 and a beta of 0.81. 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 stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $186.56 and its 200-day simple moving average is $161.66.

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.