Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Short Interest Down 16.9% in November

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 113,000 shares, a decline of 16.9% from the November 15th total of 136,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 43,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.6 days. Currently, 4.8% of the shares of the company are sold short.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $209.99 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $195.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.58. 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 stock has a market cap of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 14.88 and a beta of 1.09. Willis Lease Finance has a 1 year low of $45.32 and a 1 year high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared 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 0.48%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the 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 completion of the transaction, the president now owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total value of $97,160.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 16,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,206,280. This trade represents a 2.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth about $525,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,912,000 after purchasing an additional 9,326 shares in the last quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,136,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 48.0% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 17,663 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,628,000 after buying an additional 5,731 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at $312,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

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.