Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Trading 5.3% Higher – Here’s What Happened

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s share price traded up 5.3% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $207.12 and last traded at $207.00. 6,345 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 73% from the average session volume of 23,117 shares. The stock had previously closed at $196.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The business’s 50-day moving average is $198.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $131.14. The company has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.94 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.51%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total transaction of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This trade represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total transaction of $97,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 16,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,206,280. This represents a 2.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at $69,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth about $44,000. Rhumbline Advisers increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Leasing and Related Operations, and Spare Parts Sales. The Leasing and Related Operations segment engages in acquiring and leasing commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment, as well as the purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines and other aircraft equipment, and other related businesses.