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

Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. purchased a new stake in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 29,791 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,136,000. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. owned 0.45% of Willis Lease Finance at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in WLFC. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the third quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $4,912,000 after buying an additional 9,326 shares in the last quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $525,000. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the third quarter valued at approximately $312,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its position in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Willis Lease Finance during the second quarter worth $69,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Willis Lease Finance Stock Up 4.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ WLFC opened at $207.26 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.69 and a beta of 1.06. 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 12 month low of $44.07 and a 12 month high of $235.43. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $173.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $112.85.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.48%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of Willis Lease Finance stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total transaction of $97,160.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,500 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,206,280. This trade represents a 2.94 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $203.31, for a total value of $4,066,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 47,860 shares of company stock valued at $7,575,964. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.