Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Hits New 1-Year High at $142.64

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $142.64 and last traded at $142.05, with a volume of 1995 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $140.01.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com cut 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 Up 1.5 %

The stock has a market cap of $934.69 million, a P/E ratio of 16.13 and a beta of 1.07. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $103.02 and a 200-day simple moving average of $74.02. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 1.80 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 11.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,314 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.84, for a total value of $139,073.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 99,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,540,288.08. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Willis Lease Finance news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was 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 directly owns 7,119 shares in the company, valued at $759,312.54. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,314 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.84, for a total value of $139,073.76. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now owns 99,587 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,540,288.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 39,196 shares of company stock valued at $4,144,132 over the last 90 days. 57.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,204,000 after purchasing an additional 865 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,095,000 after acquiring an additional 1,575 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during the 2nd 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 in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% during the 2nd 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 increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the 1st 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 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.