Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.41 EPS

by · The Cerbat Gem

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC – Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $1.31 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.41, FiscalAI reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 19.22%. The firm had revenue of $194.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of WLFC traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $72.94. 55,299 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 277,206. The stock has a market cap of $1.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.29 and a beta of 0.72. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $70.40 and a 200-day moving average of $65.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a current ratio of 2.43. Willis Lease Finance has a 52 week low of $38.00 and a 52 week high of $81.54.

Willis Lease Finance Cuts Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be issued a dividend of $0.133 per share. This represents a $0.53 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 9.65%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,552 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total value of $1,161,578.88. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 450,888 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,676,824.72. The trade was a 3.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 53.32% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 1,848 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $251,000 after purchasing an additional 103 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at $147,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth about $201,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 15.1% in the 2nd quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,957 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $279,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 16.7% in the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently commented on WLFC shares. Freedom Capital downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.

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