Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) is M3F Inc.’s Largest Position

M3F Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 11.4% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 504,229 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 65,000 shares during the period. Willis Lease Finance makes up 30.3% of M3F Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its biggest holding. M3F Inc. owned about 0.08% of Willis Lease Finance worth $104,653,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of WLFC. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $16,268,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 15.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 142,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,493,000 after purchasing an additional 19,078 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 511,472 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $106,154,000 after purchasing an additional 17,500 shares in the last quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,819,000. Finally, Swiss National Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,204,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.2 %

WLFC opened at $142.75 on Friday. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 12-month low of $48.10 and a 12-month high of $235.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $943.01 million, a PE ratio of 10.12 and a beta of 0.79. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $169.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $188.14.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.92. The business had revenue of $152.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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 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 given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.70%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 6.50%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,026 shares of Willis Lease Finance 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 transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 79,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,625,315. The trade was a 5.96 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $32,612,556.08. This trade represents a 1.64 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 13,465 shares of company stock valued at $2,439,074. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

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.