Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Up 6.7% – Still a Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) shot up 6.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $220.00 and last traded at $219.12. 32,485 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 8% from the average session volume of 35,474 shares. The stock had previously closed at $205.40.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 6th.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 5.7 %

The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $207.37 and its 200-day moving average price is $150.19. The company has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.39 and a beta of 1.11.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total value of $1,000,950.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly 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 filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total transaction of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. The trade was a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 2.9% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $9,975,000 after buying an additional 1,886 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,941,000 after acquiring an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,912,000 after purchasing an additional 9,326 shares during the last quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,136,000. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 173.7% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 22,990 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,421,000 after purchasing an additional 14,590 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.