Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Sells $879,874.00 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 16,300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.98, for a total value of $879,874.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 2,549,343 shares in the company, valued at approximately $137,613,535.14. The trade was a 0.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $54.91 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.77 and a beta of 0.74. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52 week low of $38.00 and a 52 week high of $81.54. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $69.29 and a 200-day moving average of $65.36. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.63 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.41. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.11%. The firm had revenue of $194.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a $0.133 dividend. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 13.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on WLFC shares. UBS Group set a $71.00 price objective on Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Freedom Capital upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $71.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in 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 buying an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc grew its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 3.0% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,696 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,848 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $251,000 after buying an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 5.8% in the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,144 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $291,000 after buying an additional 117 shares during the period. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,889 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,783,000 after buying an additional 208 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.