Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Down 2.8% – Here’s Why

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) dropped 2.8% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $135.81 and last traded at $136.5750. Approximately 27,900 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 59% from the average daily volume of 68,508 shares. The stock had previously closed at $140.54.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 2.8%

The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44. The firm has a market cap of $930.08 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.18 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $127.55 and a 200-day moving average price of $138.09.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.34 by ($0.09). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 20.58%. The company had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th were issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. This is a positive change from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 9.58%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,232 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $268,576.56. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 1,822 shares in the company, valued at approximately $219,241.26. This trade represents a 55.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders have sold 12,200 shares of company stock worth $1,505,922 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. M3F Inc. raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 566,941 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $80,948,000 after purchasing an additional 32,680 shares during the period. AXQ Capital LP acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at approximately $409,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 16.6% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 82,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $11,796,000 after purchasing an additional 11,745 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 48.7% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,949 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $308,000 after buying an additional 638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.2% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 7,249 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,145,000 after buying an additional 291 shares during the period. 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.