Geode Capital Management LLC Buys 1,886 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 2.9% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 67,021 shares of the transportation company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,886 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $9,975,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ProShare Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth $27,000. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at about $146,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management purchased a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter worth about $312,000. Navellier & Associates Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at about $525,000. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter valued at about $531,000. 93.70% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 1.4 %

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $207.55 on Thursday. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $235.43. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $202.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $141.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a PE ratio of 14.71 and a beta of 1.09.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 7.09%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other news, CFO Scott B. Flaherty sold 5,000 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.19, for a total transaction of $1,000,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 74,955 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $15,005,241.45. The trade was a 6.25 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total transaction of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now directly owns 81,164 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock valued at $5,164,310. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 6th.

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.