Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC Purchases New Stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 21,805 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,958,000. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC owned approximately 0.32% of Willis Lease Finance at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of WLFC. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 4.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 1,700 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 3.0% during the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 2,696 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $385,000 after purchasing an additional 79 shares during the last quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 0.5% during the third quarter. Palisades Investment Partners LLC now owns 20,753 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,845,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 1.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 14,452 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $2,283,000 after purchasing an additional 255 shares during the last quarter. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company raised its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 16.7% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 1,886 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $269,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a report on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold”.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total value of $1,654,465.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 933,234 shares in the company, valued at approximately $158,733,771.06. This represents a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $173.55, for a total value of $590,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 183,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $31,842,086.25. The trade was a 1.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 22,797 shares of company stock valued at $3,964,697 over the last quarter. Insiders own 53.85% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ:WLFC opened at $180.92 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 3.52, a current ratio of 3.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 52-week low of $114.01 and a 52-week high of $207.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $185.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is $154.43. The company has a market capitalization of $1.23 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.76.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $3.38 by ($1.86). Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 15.38% and a return on equity of 18.00%. The company had revenue of $193.62 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $149.00 million.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 11th were paid a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 11th. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.38%.

Willis Lease Finance Company Profile

Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) is an independent global provider of aircraft engine leasing, trading and aftermarket services. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the United States, the company specializes in offering short- and long-term operating leases for jet engines and auxiliary power units. Through its broad engine portfolio, Willis Lease Finance supports a wide range of commercial aircraft across various operators, including major airlines, regional carriers and other leasing companies.

In addition to leasing solutions, Willis Lease Finance offers comprehensive engine trading and asset management services.