For substantially all of 2017, Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) was the top-performing stock among the 30 equities that comprise the Dow Jones industrial average. The Dow posted a gain of 25.1% last year, and Boeing posted a whopping 89.4% share price increase. Since the beginning of 2018, Boeing stock is up another 20.3%, but it trails Microsoft, Visa and Nike as the biggest year-to-date gainer on the Dow.
When Boeing reports second-quarter results before the opening bell Wednesday, analysts are looking for earnings per share (EPS) of $3.28 and revenue of $24.08 billion. In the second quarter last year the company posted EPS of $2.55 and revenue of $22.74 billion.
First-quarter results were good enough that Boeing raised its full-year EPS estimate to a range of $14.30 to $14.50 (analysts think the company will hit $14.58) and projected operating cash flow to a range of $15.0 billion to $15.5 billion.
Boeing delivered 194 commercial jets in the second quarter, more than the 184 it delivered in the first quarter. To meet its aggressive forecast of 810 to 815 deliveries for the year, the company is going to have to pick up the pace in the second half of 2018. Last year Boeing delivered a total of 763 deliveries.
The company amassed 673 new orders at the Farnborough Airshow earlier this month, including several that it had already plugged into its order book as coming from unidentified customers. According to Flight Global, firm new orders totaled 94 and other commitments rang in at 410, for a total of 504 new orders. Rival Airbus wrangled 56 new firm orders and 280 other commitments for a total of 336 new planes. The value of the Boeing’s total at list price is $76.74 billion, compared to Airbus’s $42.55 billion total value.
Analysts have been freshening up their calls for Boeing, but most have had little impact on the share price. Goldman Sachs, a long-time Boeing bear, set a price target on the stock of $336 with a Neutral rating shortly after first-quarter results were announced. Only three other firms — Canaccord Genuity, Wells Fargo and Buckingham Research — rate the stock at Hold. Canaccord has a price target of $350 on Boeing stock, Wells Fargo’s target is $370 and Buckingham has a $324 price target.
Here are a few other recent calls:
- Cowen reiterated a Buy rating with a $430 price target.
- Barclays maintained an Overweight rating and lifted its price target from $388 to $400.
- Credit Suisse maintained an Outperform rating and raised its target from $443 to $455.
The consensus price target from 24 analysts surveyed by Yahoo Finance is $398.04, with Buckingham’s $324 the low and Credit Suisse’s $455 the high.
Boeing may have something to say about its new midmarket airplane (aka, NMA or 797), but don’t count on it. It’s the thing people want most to hear about, but the company is not expected to reveal its plans for the new plane until next year. Boeing may say something about the impact of tariffs on its business, but if it does, don’t expect any harsh words — President Trump has tamed the company.
In the early afternoon Tuesday, Boeing stock traded up about 0.9% at $356.57, in a 52-week range of $211.95 to $374.48.
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