Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Acquires New Holdings in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 1,000 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $69,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of WLFC. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 0.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 104,869 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,204,000 after purchasing an additional 865 shares in the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 7.7% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 22,062 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,095,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 14.0% in the first quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,887 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $242,000 after acquiring an additional 599 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the first quarter worth about $114,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC stock opened at $109.84 on Monday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $81.04 and a 200 day moving average of $63.44. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 1 year low of $39.50 and a 1 year high of $112.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.95, a current ratio of 1.80 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firm has a market capitalization of $722.75 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.65 and a beta of 1.05.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $151.12 million during the quarter.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.91%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 11.52%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total value of $59,722.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,424 shares in the company, valued at $1,501,340.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $111.84, for a total value of $59,722.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 13,424 shares in the company, valued at $1,501,340.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.04, for a total value of $1,981,200.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 948,533 shares in the company, valued at $62,641,119.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 44,294 shares of company stock worth $3,164,316. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.