Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Issues Earnings Results

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.34 by ($0.09), Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%. The business had revenue of $183.39 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC opened at $120.51 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $138.35 and its 200 day moving average price is $141.32. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $115.21 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. The firm has a market cap of $820.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.16 and a beta of 1.10.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th will be paid a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 17th. This is a positive change from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 5.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total transaction of $4,650,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 957,046 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $148,361,270.92. This represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $430,168.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 182,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,110,522.76. The trade was a 1.83% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 51,942 shares of company stock valued at $7,770,377. Corporate 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,283,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter worth about $563,000. Creative Planning purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth about $223,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 951.4% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 27,346 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,904,000 after purchasing an additional 24,745 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, Willis Lease Finance presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

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.