Willis Lease Finance or United Rentals: Which Stock Has More Upside?
United Rentals fell -20% during the past Month. You may be tempted to buy more, or may want to reduce your exposure. But there is an entirely different perspective you might be missing. Is there a better alternative? Turns out, its peer Willis Lease Finance gives you more. Willis Lease Finance (WLFC) stock offers superior revenue growth across key periods, better profitability, and relatively lower valuation vs United Rentals (URI) stock, suggesting you may be better off investing in WLFC
- WLFC’s quarterly revenue growth was 25.4%, vs. URI’s 5.9%.
- In addition, its Last 12 Months revenue growth came in at 29.9%, ahead of URI’s 6.7%.
- WLFC leads on profitability over both periods – LTM margin of 41.5% and 3-year average of 40.1%.
These differences become even clearer when you look at the financials side by side. The table highlights how URI’s fundamentals stack up against those of WLFC on growth, margins, momentum, and valuation multiples.
Valuation & Performance Overview
| URI | WLFC | Preferred | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | |||
| P/EBIT Ratio | 12.8 | 2.9 | WLFC |
| Revenue Growth | |||
| Last Quarter | 5.9% | 25.4% | WLFC |
| Last 12 Months | 6.7% | 29.9% | WLFC |
| Last 3 Year Average | 13.2% | 32.0% | WLFC |
| Operating Margins | |||
| Last 12 Months | 25.1% | 41.5% | WLFC |
| Last 3 Year Average | 26.5% | 40.1% | WLFC |
| Momentum | |||
| Last 3 Year Return | 139.1% | 180.0% | WLFC |
Note: For “Last 3 Year Return” metric, preferred stock is one with higher returns unless the returns are too high (>300%) which creates risk of sell off.
See more revenue details: URI Revenue Comparison | WLFC Revenue Comparison
See more margin details: URI Operating Income Comparison | WLFC Operating Income Comparison
See detailed fundamentals on Buy or Sell WLFC Stock and Buy or Sell URI Stock. Below we compare market return and related metrics across years.
Historical Market Performance
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total [1] | Avg | Best | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Returns | |||||||||
| URI Return | 39% | 43% | 7% | 64% | 24% | 16% | 399% | <=== | |
| WLFC Return | -48% | 24% | 57% | -17% | 333% | -39% | 119% | ||
| S&P 500 Return | 16% | 27% | -19% | 24% | 23% | 13% | 105% | ||
| Monthly Win Rates [3] | |||||||||
| URI Win Rate | 67% | 58% | 50% | 58% | 67% | 60% | 60% | ||
| WLFC Win Rate | 50% | 42% | 42% | 58% | 75% | 30% | 49% | ||
| S&P 500 Win Rate | 58% | 75% | 42% | 67% | 75% | 70% | 64% | <=== | |
| Max Drawdowns [4] | |||||||||
| URI Max Drawdown | -58% | -1% | -29% | -7% | -6% | -21% | -20% | ||
| WLFC Max Drawdown | -75% | -11% | -19% | -37% | -5% | -43% | -32% | ||
| S&P 500 Max Drawdown | -31% | -1% | -25% | -1% | -2% | -15% | -12% | <=== | |
[1] Cumulative total returns since the beginning of 2020
[2] 2025 data is for the year up to 11/18/2025 (YTD)
[3] Win Rate = % of calendar months in which monthly returns were positive
[4] Max drawdown represents maximum peak-to-trough decline within a year
No matter how good the numbers, stock investment is never a smooth ride. There is a risk you must factor in. Read WLFC Dip Buyer Analyses and URI Dip Buyer Analyses to see how these stocks have fallen and recovered in the past.
Still not sure about URI or WLFC? Consider portfolio approach.
Portfolios Beat Stock Picking
Single stocks swing wildly but staying invested matters. A well built portfolio keeps you invested, captures upside and softens the blows from individual stocks
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio, with a collection of 30 stocks, has a track record of comfortably outperforming its benchmark that includes all 3 – the S&P 500, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 indices. Why is that? As a group, HQ Portfolio stocks provided better returns with less risk versus the benchmark index; less of a roller-coaster ride, as evident in HQ Portfolio performance metrics.