Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. Raises Stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 23,188 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 198 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $4,813,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Truist Financial Corp purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $208,000. Lakewood Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $227,000. Precision Wealth Strategies LLC purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at about $257,000. Franklin Resources Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth about $283,000. Finally, Bleakley Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $297,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.14, for a total transaction of $704,283.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 158,034 shares in the company, valued at $32,261,060.76. The trade was a 2.14 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

WLFC stock opened at $176.75 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $1.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.53 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a current ratio of 1.16. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 1 year low of $48.10 and a 1 year high of $235.43. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $189.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $186.45.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.92. The company had revenue of $152.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6.50%.

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.