4,801 Shares in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC Bought by Caxton Associates LLP

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP acquired 4,801 shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation, making a new investment worth approximately $758,000 during the first quarter.
• Willis Lease Finance reported significantly strong earnings of $8.43 per share, exceeding analysts' expectations and marking a substantial revenue of $195.5 million for the quarter.
• Insider sales included Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis selling 30,000 shares and CEO Austin Chandler Willis selling 3,400 shares, indicating a decrease in ownership for both executives.

Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,801 shares of the transportation company's stock, valued at approximately $758,000. Caxton Associates LLP owned about 0.06% of Willis Lease Finance as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its position in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% in the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $216,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $269,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 48.7% in the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,949 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $308,000 after acquiring an additional 638 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the first quarter valued at approximately $311,000. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.15, for a total value of $493,510.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 189,463 shares in the company, valued at $27,500,554.45. This represents a 1.76% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 30,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.02, for a total transaction of $4,650,600.00. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 957,046 shares in the company, valued at approximately $148,361,270.92. This trade represents a 3.04% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 58,003 shares of company stock worth $8,753,643 in the last quarter. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Down 0.9%

WLFC stock traded down $1.38 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $147.14. The company had a trading volume of 13,510 shares, compared to its average volume of 73,558. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 1 year low of $119.93 and a 1 year high of $235.43. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. The company has a market capitalization of $1.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.75 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a 50 day moving average of $146.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $148.28.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $2.57 by $5.86. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%. The company had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $134.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.7%. Willis Lease Finance's dividend payout ratio is presently 5.95%.

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.