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

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totalling 166,300 shares, a growth of 36.9% from the December 15th total of 121,500 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 46,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.6 days. Approximately 7.1% of the shares of the company are short sold.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $200.85 on Friday. Willis Lease Finance has a twelve month low of $45.50 and a twelve month high of $235.43. 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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $207.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $151.60. The company has a market capitalization of $1.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.23 and a beta of 1.11.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 7.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total value of $97,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total transaction of $4,066,200.00. Following the transaction, the president now owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310. 57.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter valued at $146,000. Lakewood Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $227,000. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth about $283,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth about $312,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

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.