Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Short Interest Update

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totalling 71,600 shares, an increase of 20.7% from the September 15th total of 59,300 shares. Approximately 3.2% of the company's stock are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 26,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.7 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock traded up $11.45 during trading on Friday, hitting $174.85. 43,785 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 29,877. The stock's fifty day moving average is $119.10 and its 200 day moving average is $82.91. The stock has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a PE ratio of 13.59 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 1.80. Willis Lease Finance has a 12 month low of $39.74 and a 12 month high of $175.50.

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

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.57%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total transaction of $59,722.56. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,424 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,501,340.16. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total value of $59,722.56. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 13,424 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,501,340.16. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,378 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Friday, August 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.66, for a total transaction of $146,977.48. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 7,119 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $759,312.54. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 38,903 shares of company stock valued at $4,123,692. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the second 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 period. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $242,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.