Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Down 5.7% – What’s Next?

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) were down 5.7% on Friday . The company traded as low as $204.10 and last traded at $204.10. Approximately 10,951 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 53% from the average daily volume of 23,071 shares. The stock had previously closed at $216.45.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 2.6 %

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $194.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $126.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a PE ratio of 15.34 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. The trade was a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the 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 approximately $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. Insiders sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310 over the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,204,000 after purchasing an additional 865 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at $69,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during the 2nd 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. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at $44,000. Finally, Rhumbline Advisers lifted its position 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 worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. 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.