Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Posted by Brian Himes on May 14th, 2026

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Thursday . Approximately 91,651 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 39% from the previous session’s volume of 65,980 shares.The stock last traded at $186.4060 and had previously closed at $211.67.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

WLFC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Freedom Capital downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on WLFC

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 10.5%

The firm has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.50 and a beta of 0.81. The business’s 50-day moving average is $189.43 and its two-hundred day moving average is $166.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $4.03 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.02 by $1.01. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 19.22%. The firm had revenue of $194.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 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 Monday, May 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 9.72%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total transaction of $1,654,465.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 933,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $158,733,771.06. This represents a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total transaction of $590,070.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 183,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,842,086.25. This represents a 1.82% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 19,397 shares of company stock valued at $3,333,181 in the last ninety days. 53.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its stake 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 buying an additional 297 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at approximately $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at approximately $109,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.