Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Short Interest Up 20.7% in September

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 71,600 shares, a growth of 20.7% from the September 15th total of 59,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 26,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days. Approximately 3.2% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $146,977.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,119 shares in the company, valued at approximately $759,312.54. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,187 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.17, for a total transaction of $126,023.79. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 96,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,254,854.13. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $146,977.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $759,312.54. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 38,903 shares of company stock worth $4,123,692 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,095,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,204,000 after buying an additional 865 shares during the period. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter worth about $114,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth about $69,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 7.0 %

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $174.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.59 and a beta of 1.09. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $119.10 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $82.68. Willis Lease Finance has a 1 year low of $39.74 and a 1 year high of $175.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $6.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.51% and a net margin of 18.16%. The company had revenue of $151.12 million for the quarter.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.77%.

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.