Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-19 · Permanent

Willis Lease Finance Corporation logoWillis Lease Finance Corporation WLFC

Clears the common standard

An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.

In plain words · Willis Lease Finance Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide.

The label
Distribution

read at $191.65

Willis Lease Finance Corporation holds its Distribution at $191.65.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Distribution label
  • INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
  • POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
  • OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
  • SCScreen · passes the values gate
  • edge confirmed
  • edge broken
  • edge forming

Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-07-19
PhaseDistribution · caution
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the sellers, held for 9 days
Price$191.65
Valuation11.59 trailing · 10.66 forward price to earnings
Values screenPASS · score 70.0
Beta0.72

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Read at
$191.65
11.59 P/E · 10.66 fwd
Our fair value
$226.00
18% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$226.00
+18% to current

Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going

$241$133$25TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONConservative$226.00 +25%Analyst avg$226.00 +25%Our fair value$226.00 +25%Analyst high$226.00 +25%

The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street

Current
$191.65
you are here
Conservative
$226.00
+18%
Analyst avg
$226.00
+18%
Our fair value
$226.00
+18%
Analyst high
$226.00
+18%

Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.

Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.

Revenue growth24.60%
Profit margin16.19%
Debt to equity299.43
Analyst consensusNone · 1 covering

Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.

The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English

It depends which standard you follow. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor, and on this company they disagree. Here is how it did on each:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✓ PASSES

Why the two disagree. They fall out over one thing only: the company’s debt. Our stricter standard measures that debt against what the company owns, and it works out too high to pass. The common standard measures the same debt against what the company is worth on the stock market, where it works out low enough to pass. Every other check, the two agree on. So in practice, most halal apps would treat this as fine to hold, while our stricter view would not — and which line you follow is between you and your scholar.

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Its core business isn't built on prohibited lines — no gambling, alcohol, tobacco, weapons, or interest-based lending. Pass
  • Debt load Interest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Against market value it is 148.6%, under the 30% line the market-value standard uses — so that standard clears it. Divergent
  • Interest-bearing cash Interest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit. Fail
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit. Fail
  • Revenue purity Only 0.0% of revenue comes from non-compliant sources — under the 5% line. Pass

Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Aircraft Leases Grow Fast Yet Coverage Stays Thin

Every commercial flight that leaves the ground depends on engines and airframes that someone else owns and maintains. Willis Lease sits in that chain, delivering 25% revenue growth, a 16% profit margin and 18% return on equity while trading at 10.7 times forward earnings with an 18% gap to stated fair value. The ethical screen clears it without issue.

Those headline figures still leave the business on the sidelines. Only one analyst follows the name, the moat remains unproven and the opportunity rating sits at none. Without clearer evidence of durable advantage or broader scrutiny the numbers alone do not move the needle.

Aviation demand is inherently cyclical. Any slowdown in global flying quickly hits utilisation and resale values for spare parts, and the current low multiple may simply reflect peak-cycle earnings rather than a durable bargain. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E10.7x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E11.6x
reasonably valued
Revenue growth24.6%
strong top-line growth
Profit margin16.2%
healthy profit margins
Return on equity17.6%
a solid return on shareholder capital
Debt to equity2.99
heavy leverage — higher risk if revenue softens
Current ratio1.51
healthy short-term liquidity
Beta0.72
steadier than the market
Market cap$1.5B
Employees467

The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market; it carries a real debt load, which raises the stakes if revenue slips.

Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.

Related securities · others in WLFC's space worth a look

Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.

Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are

WLFC trades on Nasdaq. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.

The trader read · the latest dated commentary

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 13% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are up 27%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 40%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $226. Entered 2026-07-18 · Distribution

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-18 Distribution $190.26 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 13% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading oversold. Over the past year the shares are up 27%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 40%. The street (1 analysts) rates it none, with a mean price target of $226.

2026-07-03 Distribution $190.26 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Distribution $190.26 Entry 1

The framework reads distribution. Smart money appears to be selling into strength. Institutional holders may be rotating out. Ethical screening: PASS with passing ethical screen (70). The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.

What holding actually paid · price plus dividends

If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
PeriodPrice thenPrice returnDivs per share$1,000 becameTotal return
1 month $216.31 -16.2% $0.40 $840 -16.0%
2 months $202.62 -10.5% $0.40 $897 -10.3%
3 months $169.13 +7.2% $0.40 $1,074 +7.4%
6 months $135.52 +33.8% $0.80 $1,344 +34.4%
1 year $143.15 +26.6% $1.45 $1,276 +27.6%
2 years $61.54 +194.6% $2.45 $2,985 +198.5%
3 years $39.94 +353.9% $3.45 $4,625 +362.5%
5 years $44.39 +308.4% $3.45 $4,162 +316.2%

Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever WLFC does next, these words stay.

Willis Lease Finance Corporation · WLFC · Distribution · $191.65
Recorded 2026-07-19 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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