Sep. 3 at 3:36 PM
Deutsche Bank downgraded Air Lease Corp to Hold from Buy after the aircraft lessor agreed to be acquired by a new Dublin-based holding company at
$65 per share in cash. Shares currently trade at
$64.09, leaving limited upside. Including expected dividends before the deal closes in H1 2026, Deutsche Bank estimates a total potential return of 1.8–2.1%, insufficient for a Buy rating.
The broker also lowered its price target to
$65 from
$66. The acquiring entity, Sumisho Air Lease Corporation, will be owned by Sumitomo Corp (37.5%), SMBC Aviation Capital (25%), and Apollo and Brookfield (18.75% each). SMBC will manage new assets and oversee Air Lease’s fleet and order book post-close, positioning the company near sector leader AerCap.
$AL