Core Viewpoint - Boeing has faced significant challenges in recent years, with its stock underperforming compared to the S&P 500, but recent operational improvements and a strong backlog provide a glimmer of hope for recovery [1][10]. Group 1: Stock Performance - As of July 8, Boeing's five-year total return was only 22%, significantly lower than the S&P 500's return of approximately 112% [1]. - Boeing stock started 2025 poorly, falling 23% through early April, but rebounded to a 23% increase by June 8, outperforming the S&P 500's 6% return [2][3]. Group 2: Operational Improvements - Boeing reported a 27% increase in commercial plane deliveries in June compared to the previous year, with a total of 60 planes delivered [4]. - For the first half of 2025, Boeing's commercial plane deliveries reached 280, marking a 60% increase from the first half of 2024 [4]. - Defense, Space, and Security deliveries also improved, totaling 62, a nearly 48% increase from 42 in the first half of 2024 [4]. Group 3: Competitive Landscape - Boeing is narrowing the gap with Airbus, which delivered 306 planes in the first half of 2025, while Boeing's deliveries have surged [5]. - Airbus's deliveries fell by around 5.6%, indicating a potential shift in market dynamics favoring Boeing [5]. Group 4: Safety Concerns - Safety remains a critical issue for Boeing, highlighted by the recent Air India crash involving a 787 Dreamliner, which could impact public perception [6][7]. - Despite efforts to improve safety, including leadership changes and quality control measures, it will take time to rebuild trust in Boeing's safety record [8]. Group 5: Backlog and Future Outlook - Boeing's backlog stood at 5,953 planes at the end of June, indicating strong demand and a potential for future growth [9]. - The current recovery is seen as a positive sign, but Boeing must continue to improve execution to see significant stock appreciation [10].

Procurement Project - Germany's armed forces are experiencing delays in a major procurement project [1] - The project involves six new multipurpose combat ships [1]

Core Insights - Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM) is experiencing significant growth, particularly in the commercial aerospace sector, which accounted for 52% of total revenues in Q1 2025, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 9% [1][9] Group 1: Commercial Aerospace Market - The demand for wide-body aircraft is rising due to increased air travel, leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to boost their spending [2] - The growth in the commercial aerospace market is also driven by the demand for fuel-efficient aircraft and the recovery of Boeing 737 MAX production, which is expected to enhance demand for HWM's products [3][9] - HWM's peers, such as RTX Corporation and GE Aerospace, are also reporting strong growth in the commercial aerospace market, with RTX achieving 8% organic sales growth and GE benefiting from solid demand for its engines [5][6] Group 2: Defense Aerospace Market - The defense aerospace market is showing positive momentum, driven by increased demand for engine spares, particularly for the F-35 program, and rising military budgets [4] Group 3: Financial Performance - HWM's stock has surged 127.8% over the past year, significantly outperforming the industry average growth of 17.2% [8] - The company is currently trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 47.53X, which is above the industry average of 26.71X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for HWM's earnings has been increasing over the past 60 days, indicating positive market sentiment [12]

Core Insights - Global space agencies are investing in nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) rockets for future missions due to their efficiency and reduced travel times compared to traditional chemical rockets [1] - Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT) is gaining traction in the space sector, particularly with its mission-integrated capabilities [1] Group 1: Lockheed Martin's Involvement - In 2023, DARPA selected Lockheed to develop a nuclear-powered spacecraft under the DRACO project [2] - The DRACO project may face cancellation due to budget cuts from the U.S. government, impacting Lockheed's involvement in NASA's NTP programs [3] - Despite the setback with DRACO, Lockheed is also working on a nuclear electrical propulsion (NEP) system for the U.S. Air Force's JETSON program, which aims to advance human space exploration [4] Group 2: Market Position and Valuation - Lockheed's prominence in the space economy, including satellite deployment and spacecraft design, positions it well for future opportunities as NASA continues its exploration efforts [5] - Lockheed's shares have increased by 0.6% over the past year, while the industry has grown by 18.7% [9] - The company is currently trading at a forward 12-month sales multiple of 1.43X, which is approximately 35.9% lower than the industry average of 2.23X [11] Group 3: Other Relevant Companies - BWX Technologies has been involved in NTP design since 2017 and opened a new facility to advance nuclear technology for various applications [7] - Boeing is a key contractor in the Space Launch System program and is also engaged in nuclear-related space activities for the U.S. Space Force [8]

Core Insights - The second-quarter 2025 earnings season is expected to show resilience and an improving outlook for the banking sector and overall market [1] - Total S&P 500 earnings are projected to increase by 4.9% year-over-year, driven by a 3.9% rise in revenues [2] - Nine out of sixteen Zacks sectors are anticipated to report earnings growth, with Consumer Discretionary leading at 105.6% [3] Sector Performance - Consumer Discretionary sector is expected to see the highest earnings growth at 105.6%, followed by Aerospace at 15.1%, Technology at 11.8%, Finance at 7.8%, and Utilities at 7.7% [3] - The "Magnificent 7" companies are projected to have an 11.3% increase in earnings with an 11.2% rise in revenues compared to the same period last year [3] ETF Highlights - Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLY) has an AUM of $22.5 billion and an expense ratio of 0.08% [5] - iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA) holds $8.4 billion in AUM with an expense ratio of 0.40% [6] - Vanguard Information Technology ETF (VGT) manages $95 billion in assets and has an expense ratio of 0.09% [7] - Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF) has an AUM of $51.3 billion and charges 0.08% in annual fees [8] - Utilities Select Sector SPDR (XLU) has an AUM of $19.1 billion and an expense ratio of 0.08% [9]

Core Insights - GE Aerospace has secured a contract with SkyWest, Inc. to provide CF34-8E engines and spares for 60 new Embraer 175 regional jets [1][9] Group 1: Engine Performance and Reliability - The CF34 engine family is recognized for its performance and reliability, with over 11,000 units delivered globally, achieving more than 209 million flight hours and 165 million flight cycles [2][9] - The engines have a dispatch reliability rate of 99.97% over a 12-month rolling period and can operate on approved sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends [3][9] Group 2: Business Relationships and Market Position - SkyWest has become the largest operator of GE's CF34 engines, currently operating over 1,200 GE-powered engines in its fleet [3][9] - The latest order reflects the strong, long-standing relationship between GE Aerospace and SkyWest [3] Group 3: Financial Performance and Market Outlook - GE Aerospace holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating strong business performance driven by robust demand for commercial engines and technologies [4] - The company's shares have increased by 51.1% over the past year, outperforming the industry growth of 17.2% [6] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GE's 2025 earnings has risen by 0.2% in the past 60 days [6]

Core Insights - RTX Corp.'s Raytheon segment has successfully tested the Barracuda mine neutralization vehicle in untethered, semi-autonomous mode, showcasing its capabilities in naval mine countermeasures [1][10] - The Barracuda program is set for initial operational capability by 2030, with RTX developing larger variants for broader missions [2] - The successful demonstration positions RTX as a leader in advanced defense technology, potentially attracting investors [3] Stock Performance - RTX shares have increased by 26.3% year-to-date, outperforming the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry's growth of 21.3% and the S&P 500's return of 5.2% [4] - Other defense contractors like Boeing and General Dynamics have also seen notable gains, with Boeing up 28.1% and General Dynamics up 13.9% [5] Growth Catalysts - A steady flow of defense orders is crucial for revenue growth, with RTX securing $9 billion in bookings during Q1 [6] - RTX's defense backlog reached $92 billion as of March 31, 2025, indicating strong revenue growth prospects [7] - The long-term earnings growth rate consensus for RTX is estimated at 9.3% [7] - The commercial aerospace sector is also a growth driver, with Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney units showing year-over-year sales growth of 8% and 14%, respectively [11] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RTX's Q2 2025 revenues and earnings indicates improvements of 4.8% and 2.8% year-over-year [13] - Annual estimates for 2025 and 2026 suggest similar growth trends, although near-term earnings estimates have declined over the past 60 days [13] Valuation - RTX's forward 12-month price-to-sales ratio is 2.25X, higher than the peer group's average of 1.85X, indicating a premium valuation [19]

PITTSBURGH, July 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Howmet Aerospace Inc. (NYSE: HWM) will announce its second quarter 2025 financial results on Thursday, July 31, 2025. The press release and presentation materials will be available at approximately 7:00 AM ET on July 31, 2025, via the "Investors" section of the Howmet Aerospace website.The conference call and webcast will begin at 11:00 AM ET.Conference Call Information: Day:                Thursday, July 31, 2025 Time:              11:00 AM ET H ...

Company Performance - Howmet (HWM) stock increased by 1.09% to $181.42, outperforming the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.61% [1] - Over the past month, Howmet's stock has risen by 6.43%, leading the Aerospace sector's gain of 1.1% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.85% [1] Upcoming Earnings - Howmet is expected to report an EPS of $0.87, reflecting a 29.85% increase from the same quarter last year [2] - Revenue is forecasted to be $1.99 billion, indicating a 5.78% growth compared to the same quarter last year [2] Full Year Estimates - Analysts project earnings of $3.47 per share and revenue of $8.06 billion for the full year, representing increases of 29% and 8.53% respectively from last year [3] - Recent changes to analyst estimates suggest positive sentiment regarding Howmet's business and profitability [3] Analyst Ratings and Valuation - Howmet currently holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), with a history of outperforming the market [5] - The Forward P/E ratio for Howmet is 51.77, which is a premium compared to the industry average of 24.54 [5] - The PEG ratio for Howmet stands at 2.72, compared to the Aerospace - Defense industry average of 2.05 [6] Industry Context - The Aerospace - Defense industry is ranked 60 in the Zacks Industry Rank, placing it in the top 25% of over 250 industries [6] - The Zacks Industry Rank indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

The UK and French governments plan to order more of the Storm Shadow cruise missiles that they’ve been supplying to Ukraine, as well as accelerate efforts to develop a next-generation replacement for the weapons https://t.co/okH5Eg9dd4 ...