Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Boosts Position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 3.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 511,472 shares of the transportation company’s stock after purchasing an additional 17,500 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned 7.75% of Willis Lease Finance worth $106,154,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 221.7% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 3,738 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $556,000 after buying an additional 2,576 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at $531,000. Franklin Resources Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the third quarter worth about $283,000. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $5,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,805 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management boosted its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 32.5% in the 4th quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management now owns 2,778 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $577,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total value of $263,015.10. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 69,296 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,842,686.40. This trade represents a 2.17 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 158,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,261,060.76. This trade represents a 2.14 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 13,465 shares of company stock valued at $2,439,074. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.7 %

NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $147.87 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 52-week low of $48.10 and a 52-week high of $235.43. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $164.36 and its 200 day moving average price is $187.84. The company has a market capitalization of $976.83 million, a PE ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.79.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.89 by $0.92. The business had revenue of $152.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $145.54 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.56% and a return on equity of 20.62%.

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.