Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV Acquires New Shares in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 3,020 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $627,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Northern Trust Corp lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 30,118 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $6,251,000 after acquiring an additional 1,687 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth approximately $216,000. Tudor Investment Corp ET AL bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter valued at $1,202,000. Earnest Partners LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the 4th quarter valued at $208,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 511,472 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $106,154,000 after purchasing an additional 17,500 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 158,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,261,060.76. The trade was a 2.14% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total transaction of $263,015.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 69,296 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,842,686.40. The trade was a 2.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 13,465 shares of company stock worth $2,439,074. Corporate insiders own 53.85% of the company's stock.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock traded up $1.18 during trading on Friday, hitting $141.36. The stock had a trading volume of 16,726 shares, compared to its average volume of 44,558. The business has a fifty day moving average of $152.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $183.81. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a fifty-two week low of $58.63 and a fifty-two week high of $235.43. The firm has a market cap of $1.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.76.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The transportation company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.41 by ($2.20). Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The business had revenue of $157.73 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, May 12th will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, May 12th. Willis Lease Finance's payout ratio is 6.85%.

Willis Lease Finance 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.