Analyzing DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ:DXPE) & Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC)

Willis Lease Finance (NASDAQ:WLFC) and DXP Enterprises (NASDAQ:DXPE) are both industrials companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares Willis Lease Finance and DXP Enterprises’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Willis Lease Finance	11.80%	14.11%	2.64%
DXP Enterprises	4.35%	18.89%	5.83%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Willis Lease Finance and DXP Enterprises, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Willis Lease Finance	0	1	1	0	2.50
DXP Enterprises	0	2	3	0	2.60

DXP Enterprises has a consensus target price of $187.00, indicating a potential downside of 2.79%. Given DXP Enterprises’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe DXP Enterprises is more favorable than Willis Lease Finance.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

93.7% of Willis Lease Finance shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 74.8% of DXP Enterprises shares are owned by institutional investors. 53.3% of Willis Lease Finance shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 22.0% of DXP Enterprises shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Willis Lease Finance and DXP Enterprises”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Willis Lease Finance	$765.37 million	1.69	$113.76 million	$3.99	15.30
DXP Enterprises	$2.06 billion	1.45	$88.68 million	$5.68	33.87

Willis Lease Finance has higher earnings, but lower revenue than DXP Enterprises. Willis Lease Finance is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than DXP Enterprises, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Willis Lease Finance has a beta of 0.74, indicating that its stock price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, DXP Enterprises has a beta of 0.98, indicating that its stock price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

DXP Enterprises beats Willis Lease Finance on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Willis Lease Finance

Willis Lease Finance Corporation operates as a lessor and servicer of commercial aircraft and aircraft engines worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Leasing and Related Operations, and Spare Parts Sales. The Leasing and Related Operations segment engages in acquiring and leasing commercial aircraft, aircraft engines, and other aircraft equipment, as well as the purchase and resale of commercial aircraft engines and other aircraft equipment, and other related businesses. The Spare Parts Sales segment purchases and resells after-market engine parts, whole engines, engine modules, and portable aircraft components. The company also focuses on engine management and consulting business. It serves commercial aircraft operators, as well as maintenance, repair, and overhaul organizations. As of December 31, 2023, it had a total lease portfolio of 337 engines, 12 aircraft, one marine vessel, and other leased parts and equipment, and with 74 lessees in 42 countries; and managed a total lease portfolio of 198 engines, aircraft, and related equipment for other parties. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Coconut Creek, Florida.

About DXP Enterprises

DXP Enterprises, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in distributing maintenance, repair, and operating (MRO) products, equipment, and services in the United States and Canada. It operates through three segments: Service Centers (SC), Supply Chain Services (SCS), and Innovative Pumping Solutions (IPS). The SC segment offers MRO products, equipment, and integrated services, including technical expertise and logistics services. It offers a range of MRO products in the rotating equipment, bearing, power transmission, hose, fluid power, metal working, fastener, industrial supply, safety products, and safety services categories. This segment serves customers in the oil and gas, food and beverage, petrochemical, transportation, other general industrial, mining, construction, chemical, municipal, agriculture, and pulp and paper industries. The SCS segment manages procurement and inventory vinventory optimization and management, storeroom management, transaction consolidation and control, vendor oversight and procurement cost optimization, productivity improvement, and customized reporting services. Its programs include SmartAgreement, a procurement solution for various MRO categories; SmartBuy, an on-site or centralized MRO procurement solution; SmartSource, an on-site procurement and storeroom management solution; SmartStore, an e-Catalog solution; SmartVend, an industrial dispensing solution; and SmartServ, an integrated service pump solution. The IPS segment fabricates and assembles custom-made pump packages; remanufactures pumps; and manufactures branded private label pumps. DXP Enterprises, Inc. was founded in 1908 and is based in Houston, Texas.