Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Up 5.7% - Still a Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report)'s share price shot up 5.7% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $128.34 and last traded at $128.9360. 46,559 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 34% from the average session volume of 70,898 shares. The stock had previously closed at $121.96.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold".

Read Our Latest Report on Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a current ratio of 5.98 and a quick ratio of 5.55. The firm has a market cap of $878.19 million, a P/E ratio of 7.66 and a beta of 1.10. The stock's 50 day moving average is $135.78 and its two-hundred day moving average is $140.69.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.34 by ($0.09). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 21.75% and a net margin of 18.77%.The business had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Stockholders of record on Monday, November 17th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, November 17th. This is a positive change from Willis Lease Finance's previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is currently 9.58%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total transaction of $430,168.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 182,663 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $23,110,522.76. This trade represents a 1.83% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders have sold 12,200 shares of company stock valued at $1,657,187 in the last quarter. 53.85% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $48,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% during the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $52,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth about $54,000. DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $109,000. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 32.7% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 820 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 202 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently 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.

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