Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) CFO Sells $190,261.24 in Stock

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,742 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.22, for a total transaction of $190,261.24. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 93,213 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,180,723.86. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $105.63 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $84.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.85. The company has a market cap of $693.99 million, a P/E ratio of 12.17 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.80. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a one year low of $39.50 and a one year high of $114.41.

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

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.52%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at about $44,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter worth approximately $114,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.