Ritholtz Wealth Management Cuts Stock Holdings in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Ritholtz Wealth Management decreased its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 37.4% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 1,557 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 929 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $222,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 9.6% during the 1st quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. now owns 32,643 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,157,000 after purchasing an additional 2,867 shares during the period. Palisades Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,224 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $3,353,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares during the period. Alps Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter valued at about $311,000. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 23.6% during the 1st quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 96,900 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $15,307,000 after purchasing an additional 18,519 shares during the period. Finally, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 25.5% during the 1st quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 11,000 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,738,000 after purchasing an additional 2,236 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 0.3%

WLFC stock opened at $129.57 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $144.15 and a 200 day moving average of $142.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $882.37 million, a PE ratio of 7.70 and a beta of 1.06. The company has a quick ratio of 5.55, a current ratio of 5.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52 week low of $124.90 and a 52 week high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.57 by $5.86. The company had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 5.95%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total transaction of $4,650,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 957,046 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,361,270.92. The trade was a 3.04% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total transaction of $1,372,488.46. Following the sale, the president owned 89,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,457,653.20. The trade was a 9.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 47,258 shares of company stock worth $7,211,666 in the last three months. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy”.

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.