Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Should You Sell?

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday. The company traded as low as $37.99 and last traded at $38.1690, with a volume of 33,702 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $39.19.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27, a current ratio of 1.63 and a quick ratio of 1.31. The stock has a market capitalization of $798.82 million, a P/E ratio of 9.50, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.73. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $53.15 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $62.61.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.11%. The company had revenue of $192.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $175.00 million. As a group, equities analysts expect that Willis Lease Finance Corporation will post 5.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a $0.1330 dividend. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 11th. This is a drop from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.1333. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 13.28%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 18,695 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.57, for a total value of $1,020,186.15. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 222,650 shares in the company, valued at $12,150,010.50. This trade represents a 7.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 31,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $57.93, for a total value of $1,819,002.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 2,612,443 shares in the company, valued at approximately $151,338,822.99. This trade represents a 1.19% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 211,700 shares of company stock valued at $12,037,208. Insiders own 53.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Cetera Investment Advisers acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter valued at $220,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $229,000. Quantinno Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter worth approximately $293,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $321,000. Finally, Harbor Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter valued at about $341,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an aviation services company that provides commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units, and related equipment to airlines, aircraft operators, maintenance providers, and other aviation customers. Its leasing activities include short- and long-term engine leasing, spare engine programs, and the financing and management of aviation assets.

The company also provides engine and component services, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul support; engine refurbishment and modification; parts sales; and technical and asset-management services.