American Century Companies Inc. Sells 17,199 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

American Century Companies Inc. trimmed its position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 71.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,958 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 17,199 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.11% of Willis Lease Finance worth $1,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,738 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $556,000 after acquiring an additional 2,576 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at $531,000. Franklin Resources Inc. bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth $283,000. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $5,941,000 after acquiring an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 173.7% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 22,990 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $3,421,000 after purchasing an additional 14,590 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,026 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.50, for a total value of $927,297.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 79,270 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,625,315. The trade was a 5.96 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.14, for a total transaction of $704,283.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 158,034 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,261,060.76. This trade represents a 2.14 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,465 shares of company stock worth $2,439,074 in the last ninety days. 57.02% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Willis Lease Finance stock traded up $1.68 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $141.74. 2,050 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 33,145. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $174.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $188.58. The firm has a market cap of $936.35 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.04 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 52 week low of $48.10 and a 52 week high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.92. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The business had revenue of $152.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $145.54 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.50%.

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.