JPMorgan Chase & Co. Sells 14,392 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation $WLFC

JPMorgan Chase & Co. trimmed its position in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 52.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,954 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 14,392 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.19% of Willis Lease Finance worth $1,776,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Four Tree Island Advisory LLC now owns 98,466 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $13,428,000 after buying an additional 5,035 shares during the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at about $1,273,000. M3F Inc. grew its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 6.9% during the 3rd quarter. M3F Inc. now owns 606,026 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $83,080,000 after acquiring an additional 39,085 shares during the period. Ascent Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $588,000. Finally, Denali Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $521,000. 93.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Willis Lease Finance

In related news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 directly owned 183,475 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $31,842,086.25. This trade represents a 1.82% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 9,727 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.09, for a total transaction of $1,654,465.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman directly owned 933,234 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $158,733,771.06. This trade represents a 1.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 22,797 shares of company stock valued at $3,964,697. 53.85% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 1.5%

WLFC opened at $180.92 on Wednesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $185.23 and a 200 day moving average of $154.43. The company has a market cap of $1.23 billion, a PE ratio of 11.74 and a beta of 0.76. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12 month low of $114.01 and a 12 month high of $207.05. The company has a current ratio of 3.86, a quick ratio of 3.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.08.

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

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Willis Lease Finance in a research report on Friday, March 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Willis Lease Finance 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.