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

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) saw strong trading volume on Friday . 13,195 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 25% from the previous session’s volume of 17,631 shares.The stock last traded at $199.88 and had previously closed at $196.85.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 21st.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $126.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $86.29. The stock has a market cap of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.30 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.49%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,225 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.08, for a total value of $112,798.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,569,492.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Willis Lease Finance news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 2,528 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.08, for a total value of $230,250.24. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 22,478 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,047,296.24. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,225 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.08, for a total value of $112,798.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,905 shares in the company, valued at $2,569,492.40. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 38,903 shares of company stock worth $4,123,692. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter valued at about $312,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in 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 buying an additional 1,187 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,095,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $69,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of 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 valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.