Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis Sells 3,400 Shares

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $133.31, for a total value of $453,254.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 174,273 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,232,333.63. This represents a 1.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Austin Chandler Willis also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,232 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total value of $268,576.56.
• On Tuesday, December 2nd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,813 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.33, for a total value of $338,488.29.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 468 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $56,375.28.
• On Monday, December 1st, Austin Chandler Willis sold 587 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.46, for a total value of $70,710.02.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 2,700 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total value of $341,604.00.
• On Monday, November 3rd, Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.52, for a total transaction of $430,168.00.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

NASDAQ WLFC opened at $145.26 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $989.22 million, a P/E ratio of 8.70 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a current ratio of 1.88, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.44. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $128.84 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $137.70. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 1 year low of $114.01 and a 1 year high of $229.67.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.25 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.34 by ($0.09). The firm had revenue of $154.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $156.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.58% and a net margin of 17.79%.

Willis Lease Finance Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, November 26th. Shareholders of record on Monday, November 17th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.1%. This is a boost from Willis Lease Finance’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, November 17th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 9.58%.

Key Headlines Impacting Willis Lease Finance

Here are the key news stories impacting Willis Lease Finance this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large strategic partnership announced with Blackstone Credit & Insurance to build an engine-leasing program targeting over $1 billion of deployments across current and next‑generation engines over the next two years — brings significant capital, immediate seed assets and scale for Willis’ asset-management platform, and should support revenue and AUM growth. Willis Lease Finance Corporation Announces Aircraft Engine Leasing Partnership with Blackstone Credit & Insurance
• Positive Sentiment: Four Tree Island Advisory, a sizable WLFC shareholder, issued an open letter urging improved shareholder communication, investor engagement and governance changes, and arguing the stock is materially undervalued versus peers — activist pressure can catalyze board-level actions (strategic review, capital-allocation changes or governance reforms) that often lift undervalued stocks. Four Tree Island Advisory Issues Open Letter to Willis Lease Finance Board
• Positive Sentiment: Willis established a new asset‑management entity, Willis Aviation Capital, to scale its asset-management business — this institutionalizes third‑party capital management and pairs with the Blackstone program to diversify funding and monetize leasing expertise. Willis Lease Finance Corporation Establishes New Asset Management Entity, Willis Aviation Capital
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale: CEO Austin C. Willis sold 3,400 shares at an average $133.31 on Jan. 2 (≈$453k), trimming his stake by ~1.9% though he retains a large holding — isolated sales by insiders can be perceived negatively by some investors, but this looks modest relative to his remaining ownership. SEC Form 4: Austin Chandler Willis

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 742.5% in the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 337 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $48,000 after acquiring an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 22.5% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 365 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the period. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $54,000. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 197.9% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 694 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 461 shares during the period. Finally, DZ BANK AG Deutsche Zentral Genossenschafts Bank Frankfurt am Main bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $109,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

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.