Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Sells $4,650,600.00 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total value of $4,650,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 957,046 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $148,361,270.92. This trade represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $157.00 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $1.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.33 and a beta of 1.13. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $143.52 and a 200-day simple moving average of $155.18. The company has a quick ratio of 5.55, a current ratio of 5.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $97.11 and a 12 month high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86. The business had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.6%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 5.95%.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% during the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $54,000. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 27.4% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,000 after acquiring an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $109,000. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 32.7% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 820 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $117,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd.

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.