Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday . The stock traded as high as $240.03 and last traded at $239.5090, with a volume of 99204 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $226.51.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on WLFC. Freedom Capital downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 5.1%

The firm has a market cap of $1.68 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49 and a beta of 0.72. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $197.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $184.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25, a current ratio of 2.43 and a quick ratio of 2.00.

Willis Lease Finance’s stock is going to split on Monday, July 20th. The 3-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 23rd. The newly minted shares will be distributed to shareholders after the market closes on Monday, July 6th.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $4.03 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $1.01. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.22% and a net margin of 15.72%.The company had revenue of $194.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 11th were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, May 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 102,259 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,870,000 after acquiring an additional 3,793 shares during the period. Two Sigma Investments LP grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 9.8% in the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 101,386 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,899,000 after purchasing an additional 9,052 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 15.0% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 92,194 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $12,639,000 after purchasing an additional 12,000 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 1.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 73,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,965,000 after purchasing an additional 947 shares during the period. Finally, Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,049,000 after purchasing an additional 61,878 shares in the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.