Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Hits New 52-Week High at $129.00

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $129.00 and last traded at $127.50, with a volume of 10677 shares. The stock had previously closed at $123.24.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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 Performance

The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $96.91 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $70.97. The company has a market capitalization of $876.26 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.20 and a beta of 1.07. 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 posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $6.21 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $151.12 million during 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 issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.75%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 11.52%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total transaction of $59,722.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,424 shares in the company, valued at $1,501,340.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total transaction of $59,722.56. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,424 shares in the company, valued at $1,501,340.16. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $146,977.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,119 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $759,312.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 45,343 shares of company stock valued at $4,556,534 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $69,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $114,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.