Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis Sells 2,813 Shares

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,813 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $338,488.29. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 179,263 shares in the company, valued at approximately $21,570,716.79. This trade represents a 1.54% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,232 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total transaction of $268,576.56.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 468 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $56,375.28.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 587 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $70,710.02.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,700 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $341,604.00.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $430,168.00.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of WLFC traded up $6.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $126.44. The stock had a trading volume of 30,821 shares, compared to its average volume of 69,688. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52 week low of $114.01 and a 52 week high of $229.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44, a current ratio of 1.88 and a quick ratio of 1.50. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $128.41 and its 200-day moving average price is $138.38. The company has a market capitalization of $861.06 million, a P/E ratio of 7.57 and a beta of 0.79.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.34 by ($0.09). The company had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $156.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 17.79% and a return on equity of 20.58%.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Investors of record on Monday, November 17th were 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 was Monday, November 17th. This is a boost from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 9.58%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,049,000 after buying an additional 61,878 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $95,000 after purchasing an additional 461 shares during the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 109.8% in the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 6,774 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $929,000 after acquiring an additional 3,545 shares in the last quarter. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth about $510,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 44,270 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $6,069,000 after acquiring an additional 1,525 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Monday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.