Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Here’s What Happened

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) shares crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $152.67 and traded as high as $178.35. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $176.96, with a volume of 29,259 shares traded.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08. The company’s 50-day moving average is $186.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $152.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.11 and a beta of 0.75.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm 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 presently 10.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $185.74, for a total value of $631,516.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 184,746 shares in the company, valued at $34,314,722.04. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter worth approximately $349,000. Invesco Ltd. increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 24.7% during the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,199 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $705,000 after acquiring an additional 1,029 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 27,889 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,783,000 after purchasing an additional 208 shares in the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth approximately $354,000. Finally, Boothbay Fund Management LLC lifted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 94.7% in the fourth quarter. Boothbay Fund Management LLC now owns 12,042 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,633,000 after purchasing an additional 5,858 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is currently 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.