Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) Shares Set to Split on Monday, July 20th

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)’s stock is set to split before the market opens on Monday, July 20th. The 3-1 split was announced on Tuesday, June 23rd. The newly created shares will be distributed to shareholders after the market closes on Friday, July 17th.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC opened at $226.51 on Friday. Willis Lease Finance has a 1-year low of $114.01 and a 1-year high of $239.44. The company has a current ratio of 2.43, a quick ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.59 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.76 and a beta of 0.72. The business has a 50 day moving average of $197.93 and a 200-day moving average of $183.83.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $4.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.02 by $1.01. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 19.22%. The business had revenue of $194.35 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $175.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 11th were given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 9.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on WLFC. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Freedom Capital downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Willis Lease Finance presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy”.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Willis Lease Finance

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Millennium Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1,498.3% in the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 66,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $9,049,000 after buying an additional 61,878 shares in the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $8,073,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 357.4% during the second quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 40,289 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,752,000 after acquiring an additional 31,480 shares in the last quarter. Denali Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 780.3% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 33,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,537,000 after acquiring an additional 29,652 shares during the period. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 951.4% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 27,346 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,904,000 after acquiring an additional 24,745 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.