Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Short Interest Update

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totalling 166,300 shares, a growth of 36.9% from the December 31st total of 121,500 shares. Approximately 7.1% of the company’s shares are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 46,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.6 days.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $191.19 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $1.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.55 and a beta of 1.11. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $206.26 and its 200-day simple moving average is $160.33. Willis Lease Finance has a 12-month low of $46.70 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The business had revenue of $146.22 million during the quarter.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.09%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total transaction of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 74,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,005,241.45. This represents a 6.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at $27,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth about $146,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth approximately $312,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% in the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,912,000 after purchasing an additional 9,326 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 48.0% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 17,663 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $2,628,000 after purchasing an additional 5,731 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

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.