Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Gap Up to $134.63

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) gapped up prior to trading on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $134.63, but opened at $137.68. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $135.94, with a volume of 1,157 shares traded.

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 report on Wednesday, August 21st.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $101.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $905.74 million, a PE ratio of 15.51 and a beta of 1.07.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.73%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 11.52%.

Insider Activity

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 6,147 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.09, for a total value of $412,402.23. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 107,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,237,333.75. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,742 shares of Willis Lease Finance 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 directly owns 93,213 shares in the company, valued at $10,180,723.86. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 6,147 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.09, for a total transaction of $412,402.23. Following the transaction, the president now owns 107,875 shares in the company, valued at $7,237,333.75. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 45,343 shares of company stock valued at $4,556,534. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter worth approximately $114,000. Empowered Funds LLC raised its position 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 worth $1,095,000 after acquiring an additional 1,575 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake 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 worth $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the last quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the first 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. 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.