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

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) shares gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $239.91, but opened at $219.48. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $217.21, with a volume of 6,724 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WLFC has been the subject of several recent 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 Friday, June 12th. 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.1%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $200.86 and a 200 day moving average of $186.79. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.69 and a beta of 0.72.

Willis Lease Finance shares are set to split on Monday, July 20th. The 3-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 23rd. The newly minted shares will be distributed to shareholders after the closing bell on Friday, July 17th.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 9.72%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 5,184 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $224.07, for a total transaction of $1,161,578.88. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 150,296 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $33,676,824.72. This trade represents a 3.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 53.32% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares during the period. Legal & General Group Plc boosted its stake in 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 valued at $385,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,848 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $251,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 5.8% during the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 2,144 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $291,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,889 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,783,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.