XTX Topco Ltd Decreases Stock Holdings in Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC)

XTX Topco Ltd lowered its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) by 44.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,594 shares of the transportation company’s stock after selling 1,301 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd’s holdings in Willis Lease Finance were worth $252,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 27.4% during the fourth quarter. Summit Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 298 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $62,000 after buying an additional 64 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 16.9% during the fourth quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 643 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 93 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Willis Lease Finance by 780.8% during the fourth quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 687 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $143,000 after buying an additional 609 shares in the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the fourth quarter worth about $216,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 7,295 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $145.16, for a total transaction of $1,058,942.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 100,760 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $14,626,321.60. This represents a 6.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Austin Chandler Willis sold 3,450 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.01, for a total transaction of $483,034.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 196,181 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $27,467,301.81. The trade was a 1.73% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 41,911 shares of company stock valued at $5,791,861 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 57.02% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Willis Lease Finance from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 22nd.

Willis Lease Finance Stock Performance

Shares of WLFC opened at $150.08 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 5.98, a quick ratio of 5.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.53. The stock has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.92 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a 50-day moving average of $141.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $155.69. Willis Lease Finance Corporation has a 12-month low of $89.43 and a 12-month high of $235.43.

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, August 5th. The transportation company reported $8.43 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.57 by $5.86. The company had revenue of $195.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $134.00 million. Willis Lease Finance had a net margin of 18.77% and a return on equity of 21.75%.

Willis Lease Finance Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 12th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 12th. Willis Lease Finance’s payout ratio is currently 5.95%.

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.