AER vs. LECO: AerCap vs. Lincoln Electric Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO) both fall under the Capital Goods industry group, but AER is classified in Trading Companies & Distributors while LECO is classified in Machinery.

Company profile comparison for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Profile Item	AER	LECO
Name	AerCap Holdings N.V.	Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc.
Country/Region	Ireland	United States
GICS Sector	Industrials	Industrials
GICS Industry Group	Capital Goods	Capital Goods
GICS Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Machinery
GICS Sub-Industry	Trading Companies & Distributors	Industrial Machinery & Supplies & Components
Market Capitalization	25.76 billion USD	14.91 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	Nasdaq
Listing Date	November 21, 2006	April 7, 1994
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AER

LECO

GSPC

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Total Return (1Y)	32.17%	27.30%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	39.43%	17.31%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	21.06%	16.33%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AER

LECO

GSPC

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	26.10%	31.13%
Beta (5Y)	0.95	1.17
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-44.81%	-34.29%
Avg. Volume (3M)	1.13M	409.99K

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AER and LECO are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	1.07	0.74
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	1.59	1.11

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 38.75% sits in the top ROE quartile, while AerCap (AER) at 17.00% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for LECO.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

17.00%

Max: 40.55%
Q3: 19.29%
AER: 17.00%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

38.75%

Max: 40.55%
LECO: 38.75%
Q3: 19.29%
Median: 12.12%
Q1: 4.08%
Min: -17.12%

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their ROE against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

AerCap (AER) at 34.47% keeps the most of each sales dollar — above its industry’s net margin range — and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 12.40% also retains a top-quartile share.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

34.47%

AER: 34.47%
Max: 27.47%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

12.40%

Max: 27.47%
LECO: 12.40%
Q3: 12.10%
Median: 6.30%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -12.89%

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their net margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

AerCap (AER) at 62.55% turns sales into operating profit above its industry’s benchmark range, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 18.29% operates around its industry’s norm.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

62.55%

AER: 62.55%
Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

18.29%

Max: 36.60%
Q3: 18.33%
LECO: 18.29%
Median: 11.12%
Q1: 5.14%
Min: -12.63%

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their operating margin against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
ROE (TTM)	17.00%	38.75%
ROA (TTM)	4.52%	13.32%
Net Margin (TTM)	34.47%	12.40%
Operating Margin (TTM)	62.55%	18.29%
Gross Margin (TTM)	63.02%	35.54%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AerCap (AER) at 6.50% and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 5.60% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

AerCap (AER) at 97.41% sits in the top EPS growth quartile, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 14.36% is closer to the peer norm — faster per-share earnings growth for AER.

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Revenue Growth (YoY)	6.50%	5.60%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	6.69%	4.02%
EPS Growth (YoY)	97.41%	14.36%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	5.05%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both AerCap (AER) at 1.45 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.91 carry current ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

1.45

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
AER: 1.45
Q1: 1.43
Min: 0.36

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

1.91

Max: 5.22
Q3: 2.95
Median: 2.08
LECO: 1.91
Q1: 1.43
Min: 0.36

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their current ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 0.78 carries an industry-typical debt-to-equity mix, while AerCap (AER) at 2.33 uses more debt funding than most peers.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

2.33

AER: 2.33
Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

0.78

Max: 2.33
Q3: 1.12
LECO: 0.78
Median: 0.60
Q1: 0.29
Min: 0.00

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.45	1.91
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	2.33	0.78
Net Debt / EBITDA	7.77	1.00

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 1.16% delivers top-quartile income for its industry, while AerCap (AER) at 0.96% pays a more typical yield — both are credible income propositions, LECO the richer one.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

0.96%

Max: 2.66%
Q3: 1.14%
AER: 0.96%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

1.16%

Max: 2.66%
LECO: 1.16%
Q3: 1.14%
Median: 0.24%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AerCap (AER) at 7.52% pays out a band-typical share of earnings, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 30.30% distributes more than its industry norm — less retained, thinner cover.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

7.52%

Max: 67.39%
Q3: 28.02%
AER: 7.52%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

30.30%

Max: 67.39%
LECO: 30.30%
Q3: 28.02%
Median: 6.86%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.96%	1.16%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	7.52%	30.30%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

AerCap (AER) at 8.67 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 26.40 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for AER, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

8.67

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
AER: 8.67
Min: 3.03

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

26.40

Max: 59.38
Q3: 35.92
LECO: 26.40
Median: 25.41
Q1: 19.47
Min: 3.03

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

On P/S ratio, both AerCap (AER) at 2.84 and Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 3.21 are priced roughly in line with their industries — neither looks cheap nor rich on a sales basis.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

2.84

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
AER: 2.84
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

3.21

Max: 7.54
Q3: 3.76
LECO: 3.21
Median: 2.15
Q1: 1.03
Min: 0.03

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

AerCap (AER) at 1.36 looks cheap against book in the lower P/B ratio quartile, while Lincoln Electric (LECO) at 9.59 carries a premium in the upper quartile — a clear price-to-book gap.

AER

Capital Goods industry group

1.36

Max: 9.66
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
AER: 1.36
Min: -1.08

LECO

Capital Goods industry group

9.59

Max: 9.66
LECO: 9.59
Q3: 5.00
Median: 3.12
Q1: 1.81
Min: -1.08

AerCap (AER) vs. Lincoln Electric (LECO): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Capital Goods industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AerCap (AER) and Lincoln Electric (LECO)
Metric	AER	LECO
P/E Ratio (TTM)	8.67	26.40
P/S Ratio (TTM)	2.84	3.21
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	1.36	9.59
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	-6.60%	2.68%