Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Trading 6.3% Higher – What’s Next?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) traded up 6.3% on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $222.22 and last traded at $219.73. 22,257 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 3% from the average session volume of 22,901 shares. The stock had previously closed at $206.67.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com cut Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $1.45 billion, a PE ratio of 15.87 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $191.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $125.42.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total transaction of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares in the company, valued at $15,005,241.45. This trade represents a 6.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at $16,501,452.84. This trade represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Rhumbline Advisers increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $464,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth $44,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,204,000 after buying an additional 865 shares during the period. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth $146,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.