Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.34 by ($0.09), Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.The firm had revenue of $183.39 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 2.4%

WLFC stock opened at $131.49 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $139.63 and a 200-day moving average of $141.64. Willis Lease Finance has a fifty-two week low of $124.90 and a fifty-two week high of $235.43. The company has a market capitalization of $895.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.89 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a current ratio of 5.98.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total transaction of $493,510.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 189,463 shares in the company, valued at $27,500,554.45. This trade represents a 1.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total transaction of $4,650,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman directly owned 957,046 shares in the company, valued at $148,361,270.92. The trade was a 3.04% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 47,258 shares of company stock valued at $7,211,666 over the last three months. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% in 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 last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.0% during the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,696 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $385,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in 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 worth $2,283,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 16.7% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Osaic Holdings Inc. raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during 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 in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.