Big Holder Steps Back: Air Lease Stock Out Due to Pending Buyout

On November 12, 2025, Lyrical Asset Management LP disclosed a significant reduction in its Air Lease Corporation (NYSE:AL) holding, trimming its position by approximately $99.81 million.

What Happened

Lyrical Asset Management LP cut its stake in Air Lease Corporation by 1,707,042 shares during the third quarter, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated November 12, 2025. The remaining position totaled 6,128 shares, valued at $390,047 at quarter-end, down from a previous level representing 1.44% of the fund’s AUM.

What Else to Know

The fund’s reduction brings Air Lease to 0.01% of its reportable assets, placing it outside the top five holdings.

Top holdings after the filing:

• NYSE: NRG: $516.64 million (7.29% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: FLEX: $472.48 million (6.67% of AUM)
• NYSE: JCI: $388.55 million (5.48% of AUM)
• NYSE: AMP: $373.10 million (5.26% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: EXPE: $360.81 million (5.09% of AUM)

As of November 11, 2025, shares were priced at $63.81, up 34.14% over the past year; shares outperformed the S&P 500 by 23.56 percentage points.

Company Overview

Company Snapshot

• Provides aircraft leasing services, including the purchase, leasing, and sale of commercial jet aircraft, as well as fleet management services.
• Generates revenue primarily through long-term operating leases with airlines and by selling aircraft from its portfolio to third parties.
• Serves a global customer base of commercial airlines, financial investors, and other aviation industry participants.

As of December 31, 2021, Air Lease Corporation operated a fleet of 382 commercial jet aircraft.

Foolish Take

According to a recent filing, Lyrical Asset Management, a New York-based independent investment management company, sold approximately 1.7 million shares of Air Lease Corporation stock. Here's what retail investors need to know.

For starters, this transaction essentially closed out Lyrical's exposure to Air Lease stock. True, Lyrical still retains about 6,000 shares of Air Lease stock, worth about $390,000, but that amounts to less than 0.01% of the firm's overall assets under management. In other words, it's a rounding error for this giant firm, which has about $7.1 billion of assets under management.

What's more, this reduction is entirely logical given what's happening with Air Lease stock. Most notably, the company approved a buyout offer from Sumitomo, a Japanese conglomerate, in September. As such, Air Lease's stock has traded in a tight range for the last few months. Moreover, the stock should finally be delisted in early 2026, as the buyout is formalized, and trading in the security is entirely halted.

Obviously, given the buyout, there is no need for retail traders to transact in Air Lease stock. However, for those with an interest in the sector, it may be worth considering one of Air Lease's major competitors, AerCap Holdings, whose stock price has traditionally tracked Air Lease's in the past.

Glossary

AUM (Assets Under Management): The total market value of assets a fund or investment manager oversees on behalf of clients.
Reportable AUM: The portion of a fund's assets required to be disclosed in regulatory filings.
Stake: The ownership interest or share held by an investor in a company or fund.
Top holdings: The largest investments in a fund's portfolio, typically by market value or percentage of assets.
Operating lease: A rental agreement where the lessor retains ownership of the asset, and the lessee uses it for a set period.
Fleet management services: Services that oversee the operation, maintenance, and administration of a group of vehicles or aircraft.
Portfolio (in investing): A collection of financial assets, such as stocks, bonds, or other investments, held by an individual or institution.
Outperforming: Achieving a higher return or better performance compared to a benchmark or index.
Market close: The end of the trading day when official prices are recorded for financial instruments.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Jake Lerch has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Johnson Controls International. The Motley Fool recommends AerCap and Flex and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $60 calls on AerCap. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.