Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Gap Up - Time to Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) shares gapped up before the market opened on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $130.99, but opened at $136.99. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $135.26, with a volume of 613 shares trading hands.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.8 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $168.59 and its 200 day moving average price is $188.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $889.46 million, a PE ratio of 9.54 and a beta of 0.79.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.92. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The firm had revenue of $152.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $145.54 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.74%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is currently 6.50%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $544,479.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 206,644 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,612,556.08. The trade was a 1.64 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total transaction of $263,015.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 69,296 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,842,686.40. This represents a 2.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 13,465 shares of company stock worth $2,439,074 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter worth approximately $16,268,000. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 15.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 142,100 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $29,493,000 after purchasing an additional 19,078 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 511,472 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $106,154,000 after acquiring an additional 17,500 shares in the last quarter. Apis Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $1,930,000. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,819,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.

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