Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Stock Price Down 5.7% – Time to Sell?

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s share price dropped 5.7% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $204.10 and last traded at $204.10. Approximately 10,951 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 53% from the average daily volume of 23,071 shares. The stock had previously closed at $216.45.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 3.0 %

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 firm has a 50-day moving average of $195.62 and a 200-day moving average of $128.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.88 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the president now 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance 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 approximately $15,005,241.45. This represents a 6.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310 in the last three months. 57.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Willis Lease Finance

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Navellier & Associates Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at $525,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,912,000 after buying an additional 9,326 shares during the period. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth about $4,136,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 48.0% in the third quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 17,663 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,628,000 after buying an additional 5,731 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth about $312,000. Hedge funds and other 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.