Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Sees Large Volume Increase - What's Next?

Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 14,858 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 36% from the previous session's volume of 23,387 shares.The stock last traded at $212.00 and had previously closed at $204.65.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 1.4 %

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 fifty day moving average price is $202.16 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.68. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.71 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 7.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the sale, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This trade represents a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 owns 74,955 shares in the company, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310 over the last three months. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth about $283,000. Barclays PLC increased its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,738 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $556,000 after purchasing an additional 2,576 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 2.9% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,021 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $9,975,000 after buying an additional 1,886 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth approximately $531,000. Finally, State Street Corp grew its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $5,941,000 after buying an additional 2,805 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by 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.