Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 107,600 shares, a growth of 50.3% from the September 30th total of 71,600 shares. Currently, 4.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 32,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.4 days.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC stock traded up $3.37 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $184.91. 30,633 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,830. The company has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 1.09. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $41.53 and a 12-month high of $214.90. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $138.09 and its 200 day moving average is $92.43. 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 announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $6.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm 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 Announces Dividend

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

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 8,670 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total transaction of $946,503.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 933,380 shares in the company, valued at $101,897,094.60. 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 this hyperlink. In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,225 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.08, for a total transaction of $112,798.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 27,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,569,492.40. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 8,670 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total transaction of $946,503.90. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 933,380 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $101,897,094.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 38,903 shares of company stock valued at $4,123,692 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $312,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth approximately $146,000. ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth $44,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

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.