Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) was the target of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 31st, there was short interest totalling 64,800 shares, an increase of 44.3% from the August 15th total of 44,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 23,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.8 days. Approximately 2.9% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com lowered shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, August 21st.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 6,147 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.09, for a total value of $412,402.23. Following the sale, the president now owns 107,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,237,333.75. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 6,147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.09, for a total transaction of $412,402.23. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 107,875 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,237,333.75. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,742 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.22, for a total value of $190,261.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 93,213 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,180,723.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 45,343 shares of company stock valued at $4,556,534. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth about $27,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $242,000 after buying an additional 599 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,204,000 after acquiring an additional 865 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC opened at $120.11 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $93.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.27. Willis Lease Finance has a one year low of $39.50 and a one year high of $121.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $790.32 million, a P/E ratio of 13.84 and a beta of 1.07.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $6.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The business had revenue of $151.12 million for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.51% and a net margin of 18.16%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Investors of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.83%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 11.52%.

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.