Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Up 4.2% – Here’s Why

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price traded up 4.2% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $183.45 and last traded at $184.1250. 1,429 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 98% from the average session volume of 62,989 shares. The stock had previously closed at $176.68.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $145.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.64. The company has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a PE ratio of 10.85 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its 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). The business had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.58% and a net margin of 17.79%.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th will be given a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 9.58%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $133.31, for a total value of $453,254.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 174,273 shares in the company, valued at $23,232,333.63. The trade was a 1.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold 15,600 shares of company stock valued at $1,959,176 over the last three months. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $133,000. Palisades Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,188 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,874,000 after buying an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $2,958,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $129,000. Finally, Millennium Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% in the third quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,049,000 after buying an additional 61,878 shares in the last quarter. 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.