Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Up 6.3% – Should You Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price shot up 6.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $222.22 and last traded at $219.73. 22,257 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 3% from the average session volume of 22,901 shares. The stock had previously closed at $206.67.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $194.47 and its 200-day moving average is $126.71. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The company has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 14.88 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 7.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total transaction of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the company’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 value of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310 over the last three months. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $464,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at about $44,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,204,000 after buying an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth about $146,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.