Renaissance Technologies LLC Sells 6,100 Shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Renaissance Technologies LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 237,897 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 6,100 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC owned 3.60% of Willis Lease Finance worth $49,376,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter valued at $104,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its position in Willis Lease Finance by 780.8% in the 4th quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 687 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $143,000 after acquiring an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. Truist Financial Corp acquired a new stake in Willis Lease Finance in the 4th quarter valued at about $208,000. Rangeley Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance in the fourth quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, Lakewood Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth approximately $227,000. Institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of Willis Lease Finance stock opened at $136.90 on Friday. 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 firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $176.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $188.22. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a fifty-two week low of $48.10 and a fifty-two week high of $235.43. The firm has a market cap of $904.36 million, a P/E ratio of 9.70 and a beta of 0.79.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last released its earnings results on Monday, March 10th. The transportation company reported $2.81 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.89 by $0.92. Willis Lease Finance had a return on equity of 20.62% and a net margin of 18.56%. The company had revenue of $152.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $145.54 million.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 12th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 12th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 6.50%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Willis Lease Finance

In other Willis Lease Finance news, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $204.14, for a total transaction of $704,283.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 158,034 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,261,060.76. The trade was a 2.14 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Scott B. Flaherty sold 1,539 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.90, for a total value of $263,015.10. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 69,296 shares in the company, valued at $11,842,686.40. This represents a 2.17 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 13,465 shares of company stock worth $2,439,074. Company insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

About Willis Lease Finance

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.