Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Short Interest Up 20.0% in January

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 194,600 shares, an increase of 20.0% from the January 15th total of 162,200 shares. Currently, 8.4% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 41,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.7 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 27.4% in the 4th quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $62,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.2% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,622 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $337,000 after buying an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 5,783 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $1,200,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,188 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $4,813,000 after acquiring an additional 198 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

WLFC traded down $6.38 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $187.93. 35,540 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 33,701. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.32 and a beta of 1.10. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $202.13 and its 200 day simple moving average is $172.10. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. Willis Lease Finance has a 1-year low of $46.70 and a 1-year high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

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.