Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) to Issue $0.13 Quarterly Dividend

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, July 29th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 11th will be given a dividend of 0.133 per share by the transportation company on Friday, August 21st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 11th.

Willis Lease Finance has a dividend payout ratio of 3.6% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $72.52 on Friday. Willis Lease Finance has a 12 month low of $38.00 and a 12 month high of $81.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.22 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $69.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $65.47.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $1.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.01 by $0.33. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 19.22%. The firm had revenue of $194.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 15,552 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.69, for a total transaction of $1,161,578.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 450,888 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $33,676,824.72. This trade represents a 3.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 53.32% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth $46,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter valued at $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% in the 3rd quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 461 shares in the last quarter. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth about $109,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.