Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s Why

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 13,195 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 25% from the previous session’s volume of 17,631 shares.The stock last traded at $199.88 and had previously closed at $196.85.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $128.88 and its 200 day simple moving average is $87.63. The firm has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.38 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.80.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is currently 11.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,314 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.84, for a total transaction of $139,073.76. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 99,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,540,288.08. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,314 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.84, for a total transaction of $139,073.76. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 99,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,540,288.08. 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 accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,742 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.22, for a total value of $190,261.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 93,213 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,180,723.86. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 38,903 shares of company stock valued at $4,123,692. 57.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% in the 1st 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 raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during 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. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $464,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors 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.