Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Trading 4.5% Higher – Time to Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s share price traded up 4.5% on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $189.04 and last traded at $188.06. 29,228 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 71% from the average session volume of 17,129 shares. The stock had previously closed at $180.00.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 3.5 %

The stock has a 50-day moving average of $120.85 and a 200 day moving average of $83.83. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95. The company has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 14.48 and a beta of 1.09.

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

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.54%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 7.77%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $146,977.48. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 7,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $759,312.54. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total value of $146,977.48. Following the sale, the insider now owns 7,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $759,312.54. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,187 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.17, for a total transaction of $126,023.79. Following the sale, the president now owns 96,589 shares in the company, valued at $10,254,854.13. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 38,903 shares of company stock valued at $4,123,692 over the last ninety days. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter worth about $114,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter valued at about $312,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,095,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in 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 acquiring an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at approximately $69,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.