Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Cross Above 200 Day Moving Average of $47.37

Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $47.37 and traded as high as $55.99. Willis Lease Finance shares last traded at $55.99, with a volume of 26,835 shares trading hands.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on WLFC shares. StockNews.com upgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. TheStreet cut Willis Lease Finance from a “c-” rating to a “d” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 7.1 %

The stock has a fifty day moving average of $49.01 and a 200 day moving average of $47.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.11, a quick ratio of 1.88 and a current ratio of 2.22. The company has a market capitalization of $396.41 million, a PE ratio of 8.99 and a beta of 0.99.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 13th. The transportation company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 10.46%. The company had revenue of $114.28 million for the quarter.

Insider Transactions at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, insider Hans Jorg Hunziker sold 789 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.32, for a total transaction of $38,913.48. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 24,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,193,790.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Hans Jorg Hunziker sold 789 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.32, for a total transaction of $38,913.48. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 24,205 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,193,790.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 2,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.43, for a total value of $110,946.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 110,653 shares in the company, valued at $5,580,230.79. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 5,099 shares of company stock valued at $253,717 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $225,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $308,000. Brown Advisory Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $212,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% during the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $242,000 after purchasing an additional 599 shares during the last quarter. 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.