Vanguard Group Inc. Buys 19,078 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 15.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 142,100 shares of the transportation company's stock after acquiring an additional 19,078 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned 2.15% of Willis Lease Finance worth $29,493,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% during the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,738 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $556,000 after buying an additional 2,576 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at $531,000. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth $283,000. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $5,941,000 after acquiring an additional 2,805 shares during the period. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 32.5% in the fourth quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 2,778 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $577,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC traded up $3.02 during trading on Friday, reaching $142.75. 34,533 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 33,729. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 12-month low of $48.10 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The company's 50-day moving average is $169.85 and its two-hundred day moving average is $188.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The company has a market cap of $943.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.12 and a beta of 0.79.

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

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.50%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total value of $263,015.10. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 69,296 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,842,686.40. This trade represents a 2.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total transaction of $544,479.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 206,644 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $32,612,556.08. The trade was a 1.64 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 13,465 shares of company stock worth $2,439,074 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance 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.