Air Lease (NYSE:AL) Reaches New 1-Year High - What's Next?

Key Points

• Air Lease (NYSE:AL) stock hit a new 52-week high of about $64.96 and is trading near its 50- and 200-day moving averages, with a MarketBeat consensus of Moderate Buy and a $66 target amid mixed analyst ratings.
• The company reported quarterly EPS of $2.20, beating estimates by $0.74 while revenue missed expectations at $679.5M but rose 15.1% year-over-year; key metrics include a PE of 6.98, PEG 0.54 and a debt-to-equity of 2.33.
• Air Lease announced a quarterly dividend of $0.22 (annualized $0.88, yield 1.4%) payable April 7 with an ex-dividend date of March 2, and about 94.6% of the stock is held by institutional investors.

Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL - Get Free Report)'s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as $64.96 and last traded at $64.9550, with a volume of 865512 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $64.95.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AL has been the topic of several recent research reports. Zacks Research upgraded Air Lease from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 18th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "buy (b)" rating on shares of Air Lease in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Barclays reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $65.00 target price (down from $68.00) on shares of Air Lease in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Air Lease currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $66.00.

Air Lease Trading Up 0.0%

The stock's 50 day simple moving average is $64.68 and its 200 day simple moving average is $64.16. The firm has a market cap of $7.28 billion, a PE ratio of 6.98, a PEG ratio of 0.54 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.33, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a current ratio of 0.46.

Air Lease (NYSE:AL - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The transportation company reported $2.20 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.74. The firm had revenue of $679.54 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $782.67 million. Air Lease had a return on equity of 8.54% and a net margin of 35.72%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 15.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.83 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Air Lease Corporation will post 5.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Air Lease Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 7th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. Air Lease's payout ratio is 9.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Air Lease

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Air Lease by 2,980.0% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 462 shares of the transportation company's stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 447 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. bought a new stake in Air Lease in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. First Horizon Corp purchased a new position in shares of Air Lease in the third quarter valued at about $31,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Air Lease in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Air Lease by 129.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 528 shares of the transportation company's stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 298 shares during the last quarter. 94.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Air Lease Company Profile

Air Lease Corporation NYSE: AL is a leading aircraft leasing company that acquires commercial jet aircraft and leases them to airlines worldwide. The firm's core business activities include direct aircraft acquisition, lease management and portfolio remarketing. By structuring sale‐and‐leaseback transactions, operating leases and secured loans, Air Lease provides flexible financing solutions that enable carriers to modernize their fleets without committing large amounts of capital to ownership.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Los Angeles, Air Lease Corporation serves a diverse customer base spanning North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.