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].

Core Viewpoint - The aerospace and defense industry has shown unexpected strong performance in Q1 2025, leading to upgrades from Wall Street analysts despite tariff uncertainties affecting manufacturing-heavy stocks [1][2]. Group 1: Boeing - Boeing reported better-than-expected Q1 results, with an adjusted loss per share of -$0.49, surpassing the consensus estimate of -$1.30 [3][4]. - Revenues increased by 18% after four consecutive quarters of negative growth, and commercial plane deliveries grew by 57% year-over-year [4]. - Analysts raised their price targets on Boeing by an average of 8% following the earnings release [4][5]. Group 2: Lockheed Martin - Lockheed Martin exceeded consensus estimates with an EPS of $7.28 and sales growth of over 4% in Q1 [7]. - The company has a substantial backlog of $173 billion, which is 2.4 times its total sales for 2024 [7]. - Analysts have raised their price targets, indicating an average upside of nearly 13% for Lockheed Martin shares [10]. Group 3: GE Aerospace - GE Aerospace surpassed estimates on both EPS and sales, with revenue rising by 11% and an adjusted operating margin increase of 460 basis points [11]. - The company has a backlog of $140 billion, over three times its revenue for 2024 [11]. - Analysts at Bank of America praised GE Aerospace's proactive tariff mitigation strategy, with an average upside of nearly 11% in share price following the earnings release [12].