Charles Iv Willis Sells 9,727 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Charles Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total value of $1,654,465.43. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 933,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $158,733,771.06. This trade represents a 1.03% 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.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

NASDAQ WLFC opened at $168.53 on Monday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $186.48 and its 200-day simple moving average is $153.18. The company has a quick ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 3.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08. The firm has a market cap of $1.14 billion, a PE ratio of 10.94 and a beta of 0.75. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52 week low of $114.01 and a 52 week high of $207.05.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by ($1.86). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.38% and a return on equity of 18.00%. The firm had revenue of $193.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 11th were paid a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 11th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is 10.38%.

More Willis Lease Finance News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price‑target increase — One firm raised WLFC’s target ~18.75% to $193.80, signaling analyst confidence in upside versus current levels. Willis Lease Finance (WLFC) price target increased by 18.75% to 193.80
• Neutral Sentiment: Minor insider sale disclosed — Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis reported a 2,000‑share sale at an average ~ $176.74; the lot is a small fraction of his large stake and alone is unlikely to change fundamentals. Charles Iv Willis Sells 2,000 Shares of Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Material insider selling by the chairman — Over March 25–27 Mr. Willis sold larger blocks (4,270 and 9,727 shares) at roughly $172–$170, totaling about $2.4M and reducing his position by ~1% on the largest sale; multiple filings/press reports are posted. Insider Selling: Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Chairman Sells 9,727 Shares of Stock SEC Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder investigation announced — BFA Law notified WLFC shareholders of an investigation into executive compensation; this raises governance/disclosure risk and can weigh on sentiment until resolved. WLFC Investigation Announcement

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. M3F Inc. raised its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.1% in the second quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 566,941 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $80,948,000 after acquiring an additional 32,680 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 16.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 82,607 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $11,796,000 after purchasing an additional 11,745 shares in the last quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 5.4% during the 3rd quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 98,466 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,428,000 after purchasing an additional 5,035 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth about $1,273,000. Finally, Corsair Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $857,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

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.