Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Boosts Stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 48.0% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 17,663 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,731 shares during the quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. owned 0.27% of Willis Lease Finance worth $2,628,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Rhumbline Advisers increased its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.0% during the 2nd quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 6,691 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $464,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter valued at $44,000. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% during 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 during the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth $146,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of WLFC opened at $207.26 on Monday. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 52 week low of $44.07 and a 52 week high of $235.43. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The firm has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69 and a beta of 1.06. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $173.70 and a 200-day moving average of $113.22.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is 7.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 5,477 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $106.17, for a total value of $581,493.09. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 921,737 shares in the company, valued at $97,860,817.29. The trade was a 0.59 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 1,314 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $105.84, for a total value of $139,073.76. Following the sale, the president now owns 99,587 shares in the company, valued at $10,540,288.08. The trade was a 1.30 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 35,289 shares of company stock valued at $6,202,678. Company 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.