Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. AER scored 63.1, HRI scored 48.2 — AER leads.
Compare another set
AER
AerCap Holdings N.V.
Rental & Leasing Services · Quality-Growth
63.1
$144.72 · $22.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
14.9
AER leads
HRI
Herc Holdings Inc.
Rental & Leasing Services · Quality-Growth
48.2
$123.46 · $4.1B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestHRI0.8x
Fastest growthHRI+28.3%
Strongest balance sheetAER2.33
Highest qualityAER60 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/S multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
AER
stronger →← stronger
HRI
60
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
42
63
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
91
66
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
29
AER is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
AER
HRI
-$307mF
FCF
-$128mF
+6.5%C+
Rev
+28.3%A-
2.33D
D/E
5.06D
2.5xB
P/S
0.8xA-
0.80A-
PEG
0.04A
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
AER
Why this score
Buying back stock
Raising its dividend
HRI
No notable signals flagged.
The companies
AERAerCap Holdings N.V.
Rental & Leasing Services · $144.72 · beta 0.98
Why now
Rental & Leasing Services · market cap $22.7b. 9% off the 52-week high of $158.81. PEG 0.80 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 10 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $179.30 (implying +24% upside).
Moat
Net margin 38% is exceptional — pricing-power territory rare outside premium software, branded staples, and specialty pharma. ROE 19% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
D/E 2.33 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$307m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk.
HRIHerc Holdings Inc.
Rental & Leasing Services · $123.46 · beta 2.05
Why now
Rental & Leasing Services · market cap $4.1b. Down 34% from 52-week high of $188.35 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +28% — in hypergrowth territory. PEG 0.04 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $188.25 (implying +52% upside).
Moat
Higher-variance name — the moat signals on the quantitative card are modest, so the durability case rests on execution (turning current growth into durable earnings power) or an un-monetized asset (IP / network effects / first-mover position) rather than an entrenched competitive position.
Risk
D/E 5.06 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$128m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Trailing P/E 80.7x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
The model favors AER (62.7) over HRI (57.1) primarily due to its superior Value pillar of 82, reflected in its deeply discounted -55% price versus DCF fair value. A contrarian, however, might prefer HRI for its significantly higher Growth pillar of 90, driven by its +28.5% revenue expansion (A- grade).
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where AER and HRI diverge
On the headline score the gap is 14.9 points in favor of AER. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
ValueAER 66.2 · HRI 29.5AER +36.7
GrowthAER 62.9 · HRI 91.0HRI +28.1
QualityAER 60.4 · HRI 41.9AER +18.5
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is AER or HRI the better stock?
AER scores higher: AER 63.1, HRI 48.2 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do AER and HRI differ most?
The widest gap is value, where AER leads by 37 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are AER and HRI scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.