Empowered Funds LLC Purchases 9,326 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 9,326 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $4,912,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 1st quarter valued at about $114,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $69,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $146,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 1.4 %

NASDAQ WLFC opened at $198.16 on Monday. 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 $1.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.04 and a beta of 1.06. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $165.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $108.29. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 12 month low of $44.07 and a 12 month high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,742 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction on Friday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.22, for a total transaction of $190,261.24. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 93,213 shares in the company, valued at $10,180,723.86. This trade represents a 1.83 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 56,673 shares of company stock valued at $8,506,302 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com lowered Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, November 6th.

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.