AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) Stock Analysis & Winston Score

AerCap is the world's largest aircraft leasing company. Instead of flying planes itself, it buys commercial aircraft from manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus, then rents those planes to airlines around the world. Its customers are passenger and cargo airlines across more than 80 countries. AerCap makes money by collecting monthly lease payments from airlines, similar to how a landlord collects rent. It manages a fleet of roughly 3,500 aircraft and engines, giving it enormous scale and bargaining power when buying planes at bulk discounts — that scale is its main competitive advantage. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, which also provides tax benefits. The key risk is that a downturn in air travel, rising interest rates, or airline bankruptcies can reduce lease income and lower the value of its aircraft portfolio, since AerCap carries significant debt to finance its fleet purchases.