Short Interest in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Rises By 36.9%

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 166,300 shares, an increase of 36.9% from the December 15th total of 121,500 shares. Approximately 7.1% of the company’s shares are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 46,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 3.6 days.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 1.1 %

NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $200.85 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.23 and a beta of 1.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $207.80 and its 200 day moving average price is $151.60. Willis Lease Finance has a 52 week low of $45.50 and a 52 week high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.50%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total transaction of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares in the company, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Barclays PLC lifted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,738 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $556,000 after buying an additional 2,576 shares during the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $525,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,912,000 after purchasing an additional 9,326 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter valued at approximately $531,000. Finally, Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at approximately $4,136,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.