Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Releases Earnings Results

Posted by Stanley Muller on Nov 5th, 2026

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.07 by ($0.60), Zacks reports. The business had revenue of $243.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $170.43 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 9.38% and a return on equity of 12.08%.

Here are the key takeaways from Willis Lease Finance’s conference call:

Platform and portfolio growth accelerated: Assets under management rose 10% sequentially to approximately $4.9 billion, while the on-balance-sheet portfolio surpassed $3 billion after the WNG acquisition. Management expects balance-sheet growth to contribute more directly now that the initial seeding of its third-party funds is largely complete.
Core leasing demand remains strong: Record lease-rent revenue increased 10.2% year over year to $84.4 million, and contribution margin reached a record $25 million, up 18%. Demand remained robust across both legacy and newer engine technologies despite fuel-price, interest-rate and geopolitical pressures.
Reported profitability declined year over year: Third-quarter EBT fell to $18.8 million from $43.2 million, while utilization decreased to 83.2% from 86%. Maintenance-reserve revenue also dropped substantially because more newer-generation engines are on long-term leases, deferring revenue recognition even as related cash collections increase.
Services expansion broadens future growth opportunities: WLFC is developing an engine repair center in Malaysia and a consolidated South Florida campus, while maintenance-services revenue more than tripled to $11.2 million. The company also has roughly $3 billion of capital available for deployment across its balance sheet, funds and joint ventures.
Shareholder returns increased: The quarterly dividend was raised 12.8% to $0.15 per share, and the share-repurchase authorization was expanded to $200 million through 2031. Management said it has no immediate repurchase plans but will compare buybacks, debt repayment and new asset investments based on expected returns.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 10.7%

Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $47.65 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.86, a PEG ratio of 3.49 and a beta of 0.76. Willis Lease Finance has a fifty-two week low of $36.39 and a fifty-two week high of $81.54. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $47.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a current ratio of 1.63.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 25th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 16th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 16th. This is an increase from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.1330. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Austin Willis sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.90, for a total value of $808,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 420,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,685,863.20. The trade was a 3.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 15,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.11, for a total transaction of $859,716.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman owned 2,492,143 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $137,342,000.73. This trade represents a 0.62% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 196,700 shares of company stock worth $10,937,108 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 53.32% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Willis Lease Finance

Here are the key news stories impacting Willis Lease Finance this week:

Positive Sentiment: WLFC reported record third-quarter revenue of $243.74 million, well above analysts’ $170.43 million estimate, and highlighted record revenue and income from investments. Company earnings release
Positive Sentiment: The company outlined up to $200 million in buyback flexibility through 2031, which could support future share repurchases, while also expanding its Malaysia WERC operations and South Florida campus. Buyback and expansion report
Negative Sentiment: Quarterly EPS was $0.47, missing the $1.07 consensus estimate by $0.60; the earnings coverage also noted diluted EPS fell. The shortfall may temper optimism around the strong revenue result. EPS and revenue report

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Freedom Capital raised shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Weiss Ratings cut Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research raised Willis Lease Finance to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 price target on shares of Willis Lease Finance and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Lease Finance presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.50.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WLFC

About Willis Lease Finance

(Get Free Report)

Willis Lease Finance Corporation is a commercial aircraft engine lessor and aviation services company headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida. Founded in 1985, the company provides engines and related aviation assets to airlines, aircraft lessors, maintenance providers and other customers worldwide.

Its principal business is leasing spare and in-service commercial aircraft engines, including engines used for narrow-body and wide-body aircraft. Willis Lease Finance also provides engine portfolio management, maintenance and asset management services, and sells or leases aircraft engine parts and related equipment.