Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) Position Trimmed by JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its holdings in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 43.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,730 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 1,328 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $257,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WLFC. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth about $283,000. Barclays PLC increased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% in the 3rd 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. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 2.9% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 67,021 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $9,975,000 after acquiring an additional 1,886 shares in the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth $531,000. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 2,805 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total transaction of $1,000,950.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares in the company, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total transaction of $97,160.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 16,500 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,206,280. This represents a 2.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310 in the last ninety days. 57.02% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

WLFC stock traded up $1.33 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $193.92. The company had a trading volume of 26,942 shares, compared to its average volume of 35,717. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.28 billion, a PE ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.11. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $205.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $161.40. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a fifty-two week low of $46.70 and a fifty-two week high of $235.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 4th. The transportation company reported $3.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The business had revenue of $146.22 million during the quarter.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.52%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.09%.

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.