Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) released its earnings results on Tuesday. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.34 by ($0.09), Zacks reports. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%. The company had revenue of $183.39 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $156.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC opened at $131.49 on Tuesday. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $124.90 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The company has a market cap of $895.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.89 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $139.63 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $141.64.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total value of $4,650,600.00. Following the sale, the chairman owned 957,046 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,361,270.92. This represents a 3.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total transaction of $493,510.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 189,463 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,500,554.45. The trade was a 1.76% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 47,258 shares of company stock valued at $7,211,666 in the last three months. Company insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of WLFC. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,283,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter worth $563,000. Creative Planning purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth $223,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 951.4% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 27,346 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,904,000 after purchasing an additional 24,745 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.