SG Americas Securities LLC Makes New Investment in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm purchased 981 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $146,000.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in WLFC. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the first quarter valued at about $114,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,095,000 after acquiring an additional 1,575 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,367,000 after acquiring an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $69,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the 1st 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. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 1.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $184.91 on Friday. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 12 month low of $41.53 and a 12 month high of $214.90. The company has a current ratio of 1.80, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95. The company has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37 and a beta of 1.09. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $138.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $92.13.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The transportation company reported $6.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 19.51% and a net margin of 18.16%. The business had revenue of $151.12 million during the quarter.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.54%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is currently 7.77%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded Willis Lease Finance from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 21st.

Insider Activity

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 8,670 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total transaction of $946,503.90. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 933,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $101,897,094.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 8,670 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total value of $946,503.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 933,380 shares in the company, valued at $101,897,094.60. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Robert J. Keady sold 1,225 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.08, for a total transaction of $112,798.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 27,905 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,569,492.40. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 38,903 shares of company stock worth $4,123,692 over the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.