Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Down 4.1% – Here’s What Happened

by · The Markets Daily

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report)’s share price fell 4.1% during mid-day trading on Friday. The company traded as low as $48.07 and last traded at $47.88. 2,196 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 99% from the average session volume of 261,564 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.91.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Freedom Capital raised shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. UBS Group set a $71.00 target price on Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $80.00 price target on shares of Willis Lease Finance and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Willis Lease Finance to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $75.50.

Check Out Our Latest Report on Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $57.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.63, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.27. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.06, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.73.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $192.83 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 11.80% and a return on equity of 14.11%. On average, analysts expect that Willis Lease Finance Corporation will post 5.15 EPS for the current year.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th were given a dividend of $0.1330 per share. This represents a $0.53 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 11th. This is a decrease from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.1333. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is presently 13.28%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Willis sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $53.90, for a total value of $808,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 420,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,685,863.20. This trade represents a 3.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 18,695 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $54.57, for a total value of $1,020,186.15. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 222,650 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,150,010.50. This trade represents a 7.75% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 211,700 shares of company stock valued at $12,037,208. 53.32% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth about $229,000. Cetera Investment Advisers bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 1st quarter valued at about $220,000. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $321,000. Jupiter Topco LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $343,000. Finally, Concurrent Investment Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at approximately $360,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an aviation services company that provides commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units, and related equipment to airlines, aircraft operators, maintenance providers, and other aviation customers. Its leasing activities include short- and long-term engine leasing, spare engine programs, and the financing and management of aviation assets.

The company also provides engine and component services, including maintenance, repair, and overhaul support; engine refurbishment and modification; parts sales; and technical and asset-management services.

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