GAMMA Investing LLC Has $973,000 Stock Holdings in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 205,266.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,161 shares of the transportation company’s stock after buying an additional 6,158 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC owned about 0.09% of Willis Lease Finance worth $973,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake 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 worth $106,154,000 after buying an additional 17,500 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 15.5% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 142,100 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $29,493,000 after buying an additional 19,078 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 5.9% during the fourth 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. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 23,188 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,813,000 after purchasing an additional 198 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Palisades Investment Partners LLC raised its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 9.5% in the 4th quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 20,928 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,344,000 after purchasing an additional 1,808 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $157.82, for a total value of $544,479.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 206,644 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,612,556.08. This represents a 1.64% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,026 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $184.50, for a total transaction of $927,297.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 79,270 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,625,315. This trade represents a 5.96% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 39,165 shares of company stock worth $5,681,512. 53.85% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $143.96 on Tuesday. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a twelve month low of $58.63 and a twelve month high of $235.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.76, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $140.83 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $173.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.20 and a beta of 1.05.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its 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). The firm had revenue of $157.73 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $149.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.56% and a return on equity of 20.62%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, May 12th were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, May 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 6.85%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.