Air Lease AL advanced its fleet strategy in the fourth quarter of 2025 by taking delivery of 10 new aircraft, reinforcing its focus on modern, fuel-efficient models from Airbus and Boeing. The company invested approximately $920 million during the quarter, with most of the spending concentrated in the second half, reflecting disciplined timing of capital deployment aligned with delivery schedules.
At the same time, Air Lease actively recycled capital by selling 23 aircraft to third-party buyers. These sales generated about $1 billion in proceeds, exceeding quarterly aircraft investments and highlighting management’s ability to capitalize on strong demand in the secondary aircraft market while managing fleet age and composition.
Together, these actions strengthened AL’s financial flexibility and balance-sheet position. By balancing targeted fleet growth with significant asset sales, the company limited net expansion while maintaining a robust order book of 218 aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2031. This positions it to respond effectively to evolving airline demand and market conditions.
Share Price Performance
Driven by such initiatives, the company’s share price has risen 42.5% over the past year period compared with the Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry’s 18.5% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchAL’s Zacks Rank
AL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Stocks to Consider
Investors interested in the Zacks Transportation sector may consider Expeditors International of Washington EXPD and Global Ship Lease GSL.
EXPD currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
EXPD has an expected earnings growth rate of 3.50% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 13.9%.
Global Ship Lease currently carries a Zacks Rank #2.
GSL has an expected earnings growth rate of 2.60% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 16.8%.
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Expeditors International of Washington, Inc. (EXPD): Free Stock Analysis Report Air Lease Corporation (AL): Free Stock Analysis Report Global Ship Lease, Inc. (GSL): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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