Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Up 6.7% - Time to Buy?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) shot up 6.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $220.00 and last traded at $219.12. 32,485 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 8% from the average session volume of 35,474 shares. The stock had previously closed at $205.40.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $207.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $150.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. The company has a market cap of $1.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.39 and a beta of 1.11.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.46%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total value of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares in the company, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total transaction of $97,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,500 shares in the company, valued at $3,206,280. This trade represents a 2.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310 over the last 90 days. 57.02% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Rhumbline Advisers raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $464,000 after buying an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter valued at $146,000. Lakewood Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $227,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the period. 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.