Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Cut to Hold at StockNews.com

StockNews.com downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Wednesday morning.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 20.4 %

Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $217.79 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.80. The firm has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.44 and a beta of 1.06. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $150.79 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $100.17. Willis Lease Finance has a 1 year low of $42.61 and a 1 year high of $220.16.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.46%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 7.09%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 2,528 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 12th. The shares were 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,340 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $93.28, for a total transaction of $124,995.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 18,368 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,713,367.04. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 2,528 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.08, for a total value of $230,250.24. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 22,478 shares in the company, valued at $2,047,296.24. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 37,678 shares of company stock worth $4,010,894 in the last 90 days. 57.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,204,000 after purchasing an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% in the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,912,000 after buying an additional 9,326 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,367,000 after acquiring an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in 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 worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.