Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Holdings Lifted by Empowered Funds LLC

Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 33,008 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 9,326 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC owned approximately 0.50% of Willis Lease Finance worth $4,912,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $242,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares during the period. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $5,204,000 after acquiring an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 4.2 %

WLFC stock traded down $8.41 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $189.75. 66,697 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 21,900. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $165.11 and a 200-day moving average price of $108.29. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 12-month low of $44.07 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.04 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 3,258 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.41, for a total transaction of $356,457.78. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 89,955 shares in the company, valued at $9,841,976.55. The trade was a 3.50 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total transaction of $59,722.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,424 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,501,340.16. This trade represents a 3.83 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 56,673 shares of company stock worth $8,506,302. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

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.