Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. Invests $4.14 Million in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund bought 29,791 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,136,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Innealta Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth approximately $44,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the second quarter worth approximately $69,000. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at approximately $146,000. Finally, Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $312,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $207.26 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.69 and a beta of 1.06. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $173.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $112.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.84. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 1-year low of $44.07 and a 1-year high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Willis Lease Finance news, insider Robert J. Keady sold 643 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.37, for a total transaction of $70,324.91. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 11,161 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,220,678.57. This represents a 5.45 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles F. Iv Willis sold 8,670 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.17, for a total transaction of $946,503.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 933,380 shares in the company, valued at $101,897,094.60. This trade represents a 0.92 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,860 shares of company stock worth $7,575,964. Corporate insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance 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.