Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) saw an uptick in trading volume on Tuesday . 14,858 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 36% from the previous session’s volume of 23,387 shares.The stock last traded at $212.00 and had previously closed at $204.65.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 1.4 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $202.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $141.19. The company has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 14.71 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 16,500 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,206,280. This trade represents a 2.94 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total value of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310 in the last 90 days. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 2.9% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,975,000 after purchasing an additional 1,886 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in 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. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth about $4,136,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 173.7% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 22,990 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,421,000 after purchasing an additional 14,590 shares in the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is 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.