Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Monday . Approximately 34,533 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 3% from the previous session’s volume of 33,597 shares.The stock last traded at $137.52 and had previously closed at $139.73.

Willis Lease Finance Stock 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 stock has a market capitalization of $866.44 million, a PE ratio of 9.30 and a beta of 0.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $169.85 and a 200-day moving average price of $188.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.92. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.56% and a return on equity of 20.62%. The business had revenue of $152.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $145.54 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.76%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is currently 6.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $544,479.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 206,644 shares in the company, valued at $32,612,556.08. This represents a 1.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total value of $263,015.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 69,296 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,842,686.40. This trade represents a 2.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,465 shares of company stock valued at $2,439,074. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 511,472 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $106,154,000 after acquiring an additional 17,500 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 15.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 142,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $29,493,000 after purchasing an additional 19,078 shares during the last quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter worth about $16,268,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 2.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,975,000 after buying an additional 1,886 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,805 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 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.