Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL - Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from the six analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $57.43.

Several equities research analysts have commented on AL shares. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Air Lease from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Citigroup raised shares of Air Lease from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $45.00 to $68.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 20th. Bank of America downgraded Air Lease from a "buy" rating to an "underperform" rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $72.00 to $50.00 in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, UBS Group set a $50.00 target price on Air Lease in a research note on Friday, March 7th.

Air Lease Stock Performance

AL stock opened at $58.03 on Friday. Air Lease has a twelve month low of $38.25 and a twelve month high of $59.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53. The company has a market cap of $6.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 1.36. The business's fifty day moving average is $54.04 and its 200-day moving average is $49.23.

Air Lease (NYSE:AL - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, May 5th. The transportation company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.24 by $0.27. The firm had revenue of $738.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $709.70 million. Air Lease had a return on equity of 8.04% and a net margin of 24.77%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 11.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.87 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Air Lease will post 5.16 EPS for the current year.

Air Lease Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 9th. Investors of record on Wednesday, June 4th will be given a $0.22 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, June 4th. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.52%. Air Lease's dividend payout ratio is currently 15.38%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Air Lease news, EVP Grant A. Levy sold 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.85, for a total transaction of $568,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 146,316 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,318,064.60. This represents a 6.40% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 6.64% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Lease

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Alpine Bank Wealth Management bought a new stake in Air Lease during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Air Lease in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Brooklyn Investment Group increased its position in shares of Air Lease by 152.4% during the 1st quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 588 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. bought a new stake in shares of Air Lease during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Finally, Engine Capital Management LP bought a new stake in shares of Air Lease during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. 94.59% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Air Lease

Air Lease Corporation, an aircraft leasing company, engages in the purchase and leasing of commercial jet aircraft to airlines worldwide. It sells aircraft from its fleet to third parties, including other leasing companies, financial services companies, airlines, and other investors. The company provides fleet management services to investors and owners of aircraft portfolios.

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