Empowered Funds LLC Has $4.89 Million Stock Holdings in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Key Points

• Empowered Funds LLC has reduced its stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation to $4.89 million, owning 30,962 shares after selling 3,666 shares in the first quarter.
• Willis Lease Finance stock increased by 2.4%, with a market cap of $1.03 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97.
• The company reported an impressive quarterly earnings of $8.43 EPS, significantly exceeding analyst estimates, along with a recently declared quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share.

Empowered Funds LLC lessened its stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 10.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 30,962 shares of the transportation company's stock after selling 3,666 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC owned 0.40% of Willis Lease Finance worth $4,891,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $133,000 after acquiring an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $216,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $312,000. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,622 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $337,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 48.7% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 1,949 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $308,000 after acquiring an additional 638 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 2.2%

WLFC traded up $3.31 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $151.62. The company had a trading volume of 24,876 shares, compared to its average volume of 73,389. The company has a market cap of $1.03 billion, a PE ratio of 9.01 and a beta of 1.14. The business has a 50-day moving average of $146.74 and a 200-day moving average of $148.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53, a current ratio of 5.98 and a quick ratio of 5.55. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 1-year low of $119.93 and a 1-year high of $235.43.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend 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 currently 5.95%.

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.