M3F Inc. Has $84.40 Million Stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Key Points

• M3F Inc. acquired an additional 30,032 shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation, increasing its holding to 534,261 shares, which makes up approximately 23.2% of its portfolio.
• Willis Lease Finance reported earnings of $8.43 per share, significantly surpassing the consensus estimate of $2.57, with quarterly revenue reaching $195.5 million.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $0.25, representing an annualized dividend yield of 0.7% with a payout ratio of 5.95%.

M3F Inc. lifted its stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC - Free Report) by 6.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 534,261 shares of the transportation company's stock after purchasing an additional 30,032 shares during the quarter. Willis Lease Finance comprises approximately 23.2% of M3F Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its largest position. M3F Inc. owned 6.97% of Willis Lease Finance worth $84,397,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 7.3% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 152,536 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $24,096,000 after acquiring an additional 10,436 shares during the last quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 23.6% during the 1st quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 96,900 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $15,307,000 after buying an additional 18,519 shares during the last quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 9.6% during the 1st quarter. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. now owns 32,643 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $5,157,000 after buying an additional 2,867 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 30,118 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $6,251,000 after buying an additional 1,687 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Palisades Investment Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 1.4% during the 1st quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 21,224 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $3,353,000 after acquiring an additional 296 shares during the period. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total transaction of $483,034.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 196,181 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,467,301.81. This represents a 1.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total transaction of $1,372,488.46. Following the transaction, the president directly owned 89,640 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,457,653.20. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 63,153 shares of company stock valued at $9,397,666. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Willis Lease Finance stock traded down $3.23 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $145.46. The stock had a trading volume of 12,412 shares, compared to its average volume of 75,487. The firm has a market capitalization of $990.55 million, a P/E ratio of 8.65 and a beta of 1.14. 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 firm's 50 day moving average is $145.10 and its 200 day moving average is $151.39. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a one year low of $97.54 and a one year high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.57 by $5.86. The company had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 Dividend Announcement

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

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.