Deutsche Bank AG Trims Stock Position in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Deutsche Bank AG trimmed its position in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 10.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,091 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 233 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $330,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% during the 4th quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $133,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth $216,000. Invesco Ltd. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at $272,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at $312,000. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,622 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $337,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Willis Lease Finance Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $150.00 on Friday. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.92 and a beta of 1.13. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a twelve month low of $97.54 and a twelve month high of $235.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $144.77 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.64.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th were paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5.95%.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total value 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 trade represents a 1.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 9,142 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $150.13, for a total transaction of $1,372,488.46. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 89,640 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $13,457,653.20. This trade represents a 9.25% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 75,353 shares of company stock worth $11,059,005. Corporate insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

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.