Jane Street Group LLC Takes $531,000 Position in Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance Co. (NASDAQ:WLFC) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 3,571 shares of the transportation company’s stock, valued at approximately $531,000. Jane Street Group LLC owned about 0.05% of Willis Lease Finance as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 39,926 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $5,941,000 after purchasing an additional 2,805 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Willis Lease Finance by 39.4% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 33,008 shares of the transportation company’s stock valued at $4,912,000 after acquiring an additional 9,326 shares during the period. Pekin Hardy Strauss Inc. bought a new position in Willis Lease Finance in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,136,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 173.7% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 22,990 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $3,421,000 after purchasing an additional 14,590 shares during the period. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in Willis Lease Finance by 6.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 19,732 shares of the transportation company’s stock worth $1,367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,187 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.70% of the company’s stock.

Willis Lease Finance Trading Up 2.1 %

WLFC stock opened at $217.50 on Monday. 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 company has a market capitalization of $1.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.41 and a beta of 1.11. Willis Lease Finance Co. has a 1-year low of $45.32 and a 1-year high of $235.43. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $204.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $143.94.

Willis Lease Finance Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 12th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, November 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.46%. Willis Lease Finance’s dividend payout ratio is currently 7.09%.

Insider Activity

In related news, President Brian Richard Hole sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 sale, the president now owns 81,164 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,501,452.84. This represents a 19.77 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Rae Ann Mckeating sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $194.32, for a total value of $97,160.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 16,500 shares in the company, valued at $3,206,280. The trade was a 2.94 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,500 shares of company stock worth $5,164,310. 57.02% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com downgraded 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.