Charles F. Willis IV Decides To Exercise Options At Willis Lease Finance Worth $0

A large exercise of company stock options by Charles F. Willis IV, Executive Chairman at Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) was disclosed in a new SEC filing on November 18, as part of an insider exercise.

What Happened: A Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday revealed that IV, Executive Chairman at Willis Lease Finance in the Industrials sector, exercised stock options for 0 shares of WLFC stock. The exercise price of the options was $0.0 per share.

Currently, Willis Lease Finance shares are trading down 0.0%, priced at $123.38 during Wednesday’s morning. This values IV’s 0 shares at $0.

Discovering Willis Lease Finance: A Closer Look

Willis Lease Finance Corp, with its subsidiaries, is a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines. The company has two reportable business segments, which include Leasing and Related Operations and Spare Parts Sales. A majority of its revenue is generated from the Leasing and Related Operations segment, which involves acquiring and leasing, under operating leases, commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment and the selective purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines, aircraft equipment, and other related businesses. Geographically, the company derives maximum revenue from the United States, followed by Europe, Asia-Pacific (excluding India), India, South America, Canada, Central America, and the Middle East.

Willis Lease Finance’s Economic Impact: An Analysis

Revenue Growth: Willis Lease Finance displayed positive results in 3 months. As of 30 September, 2025, the company achieved a solid revenue growth rate of approximately 25.42%. This indicates a notable increase in the company’s top-line earnings. When compared to others in the Industrials sector, the company excelled with a growth rate higher than the average among peers.

Key Insights into Profitability Metrics:

• Gross Margin: The company excels with a remarkable gross margin of 77.93%, indicating superior cost efficiency and profitability compared to its industry peers.

• Earnings per Share (EPS): Willis Lease Finance’s EPS outshines the industry average, indicating a strong bottom-line trend with a current EPS of 3.36.

Debt Management: The company faces challenges in debt management with a debt-to-equity ratio higher than the industry average. With a ratio of 3.44, caution is advised due to increased financial risk.

Valuation Analysis:

• Price to Earnings (P/E) Ratio: The P/E ratio of 7.44 is lower than the industry average, implying a discounted valuation for Willis Lease Finance’s stock.

• Price to Sales (P/S) Ratio: With a higher-than-average P/S ratio of 1.26, Willis Lease Finance’s stock is perceived as being overvalued in the market, particularly in relation to sales performance.

• EV/EBITDA Analysis (Enterprise Value to its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization): With an EV/EBITDA ratio lower than industry averages at 7.48, Willis Lease Finance could be considered undervalued.

Market Capitalization: With restricted market capitalization, the company is positioned below industry averages. This reflects a smaller scale relative to peers.

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Understanding the Significance of Insider Transactions

Insider transactions, although significant, should be considered within the larger context of market analysis and trends.

In the realm of legality, an “insider” is defined as any officer, director, or beneficial owner holding more than ten percent of a company’s equity securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This includes executives in the c-suite and major hedge funds. These insiders are required to disclose their transactions through a Form 4 filing, to be submitted within two business days of the transaction.

Notably, when a company insider makes a new purchase, it is considered an indicator of their positive expectations for the stock.

Conversely, insider sells may not necessarily signal a bearish stance on the stock and can be motivated by various factors.

Important Transaction Codes

When dissecting transactions, the focal point for investors is often those occurring in the open market, meticulously detailed in Table I of the Form 4 filing. A P in Box 3 denotes a purchase, while S signifies a sale. Transaction code C indicates the conversion of an option, and transaction code A denotes a grant, award, or other acquisition of securities from the company.

Check Out The Full List Of Willis Lease Finance’s Insider Trades.

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This article was generated by Benzinga’s automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.