Boeing Company (The) stock (NYSE: BA) finished Wednesday’s regular session slightly lower, then ticked modestly higher in after-hours trading as investors digested a fresh mix of defense headlines, Air Force One program developments, and longer-term production-rate chatter heading into Thursday’s U.S. inflation print.
Boeing stock after the bell: where BA stands tonight
Boeing shares ended the regular session at $206.33, down $0.37 (-0.18%). The stock traded in a $205.84–$210.60 range during the day, with about 7.28 million shares changing hands.
In after-hours trading (extended session), BA was $206.55 as of 6:30 PM ET, up $0.22 (+0.11%) from the regular close. After-hours trades ranged from $206.00 to $206.90. [1]
The takeaway: no major “surprise” move after the bell, but Boeing remains a high-catalyst name where headline risk (and headline upside) can show up quickly—especially around defense awards, FAA milestones, and production-rate commentary.
The Boeing headlines investors are reacting to tonight
1) U.S. Air Force to buy two more Boeing 747-8s for presidential fleet support
Overnight into Wednesday, Reuters reported the U.S. Air Force will acquire two Boeing 747-8 aircraft for $400 million to stand up a training and sustainment program as it transitions the presidential airlift fleet from the aging 747-200 to the 747-8 model. Reuters said the first aircraft is expected in early 2026, with the second before year-end 2026. [2]
Two important context points from the same Reuters report:
- The Air Force said the purchase is necessary because the 747-8i is no longer in active production (Boeing ended 747 production in early 2023) and the 747-8 differs significantly from the current aircraft. These two jets are expected to be used for crew training and spare parts. [3]
- This purchase is separate from Boeing’s heavily modified VC-25B program (the next Air Force One aircraft). Reuters noted the first VC-25B delivery is expected in mid-2028, and referenced that the program has faced delays and cost overruns under a $3.9 billion fixed-price contract agreed in 2018. [4]
Why it matters for BA stock:
Investors have learned to separate “Boeing the commercial-aircraft recovery story” from “Boeing the fixed-price defense execution risk.” This Air Force update puts the Air Force One timeline back in the spotlight—an area where Boeing’s defense programs have historically produced unpleasant margin surprises when schedules slip and costs rise.
At the same time, the Air Force buying more 747-8s underscores that—even with 747 production ended—Boeing’s widebody platform remains central to U.S. presidential airlift planning.
2) Boeing wins a $930.77 million Navy contract to extend Super Hornet service life
A second, clearly Boeing-positive datapoint today is a large Navy contract award. In the U.S. government’s daily contract announcements, the Navy awarded Boeing a $930,771,278 contract (cost-plus-incentive-fee / cost-plus-fixed-fee, IDIQ) to provide service life modifications for up to 60 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets. The work supports efforts to extend Block II Super Hornet service life from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours, and also includes integration of Block III avionics. Work is expected to complete in November 2028, with no funds obligated at award (funding occurs as individual orders are issued). [5]
Why it matters for BA stock:
This is the kind of defense award investors tend to like: multi-year, service-life/upgrade oriented, and structured as cost-plus (generally viewed as lower margin-risk than fixed-price development programs when requirements evolve). It also aligns with a broader reality: if next-generation fighter timelines remain uncertain, the Pentagon often extends and modernizes existing fleets.
3) Boeing’s Wisk unit completes the first flight of its Generation 6 autonomous air taxi
Boeing also had a technology headline circulating across aviation outlets today via Wisk Aero, its wholly owned autonomous aviation subsidiary.
Wisk announced it completed the first flight of its Generation 6 aircraft on Dec. 16, 2025, performing initial vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilized maneuvers at its flight test facility in Hollister, California. Wisk positioned Gen 6 as a candidate tied to its FAA type-certification effort for a commercial autonomous passenger aircraft. [6]
Industry coverage emphasized Wisk’s “supervised autonomy” concept—where the supervising operator is on the ground rather than in the aircraft—and noted Wisk has targeted FAA type certification on a longer horizon (coverage referenced by 2030). [7]
Why it matters for BA stock:
This is not a near-term revenue driver like 737 MAX deliveries or defense contract performance. But it contributes to the narrative that Boeing is building (or at least maintaining) a pipeline of advanced flight technologies—autonomy, sensing, navigation, and system integration—while the core business focuses on quality, production stability, and cash-flow recovery. Wisk’s own release also highlighted Boeing leadership involvement at the board level, framing the effort as a source of technology insight for Boeing’s “future of flight.” [8]
4) Fresh 737 MAX production-rate chatter: “potential 63/month” by 2028
One of the more market-relevant “analysis” items published today came from Forecast International’s FlightPlan, which reported “rumblings” that Boeing is evaluating a potential 737 MAX production rate of 63 aircraft per month by 2028. The same analysis contrasts that with Boeing’s current long-term target of 52 per month, and notes the FAA-approved MAX production rate stands at 42 per month, while the program appears operationally stabilized closer to 38 per month. [9]
The FlightPlan analysis also says Boeing held a 737 MAX backlog of 4,774 aircraft as of Nov. 30, which it calculates as roughly 6.3 years of production at 63 per month, while emphasizing execution risk and stating it is not yet projecting the 63/month rate. [10]
Why it matters for BA stock:
For equity investors, Boeing’s recovery is still heavily anchored to a simple equation:
- Stable production + higher deliveries → better working capital dynamics → improving free cash flow
So even “industry chatter” about higher potential rates can matter—if investors believe Boeing can execute safely and sustainably under FAA scrutiny and supply chain constraints. The key word is execution: the market has repeatedly punished Boeing when ambitious production goals collide with quality or certification setbacks.
Wall Street forecasts and sentiment check (as of today)
Analyst targets remain materially above the current trading range in many databases, reflecting a market that still views Boeing as a turnaround candidate—though not without meaningful risk.
- MarketWatch’s analyst estimates page (updated Dec. 17) lists a high target of $285, low of $150, and an average target around $247.86. [11]
- A Zacks Equity Research piece circulating today notes Boeing has been heavily searched and says the stock returned about +9% over the past month, while also flagging ongoing estimate revisions. It cites a Zacks consensus view of (loss) -$0.43 EPS for the current quarter and assigns Boeing a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). [12]
What this means in plain terms: the Street’s “destination” price targets still imply upside, but day-to-day trading tends to be driven less by target-price math and more by FAA and production reality—deliveries, rework, supplier readiness, and the pace of certification progress for MAX variants and other programs.
What to watch before the stock market opens Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
Here are the practical, pre-open checkpoints that matter most for Boeing shareholders and anyone tracking BA stock for a next-day trade.
1) U.S. inflation data: CPI hits at 8:30 AM ET
Boeing trades in a market that is still highly sensitive to inflation and interest-rate expectations, and Thursday’s macro calendar is not quiet.
The New York Fed’s Economic Indicators Calendar shows Consumer Price Index (CPI) is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18 (8:30 AM ET). [13]
Why BA cares about CPI:
- Rates move the discount rate for long-duration turnarounds (like Boeing), affecting valuation.
- Higher yields can tighten financing conditions broadly, including airline capital spending and aircraft financing dynamics (though those effects are usually second-order compared with Boeing’s operational execution).
2) Weekly jobless claims: another potential market mover Thursday morning
Labor-market data can also swing bond yields and index futures. FRED’s listing for Initial Claims (ICSA) shows the next release date is Dec. 18, 2025. [14]
Even if Boeing-specific news is quiet pre-market, macro surprises can still dictate the tone at the open—especially for industrial cyclicals.
3) Follow-through on today’s defense and Air Force One headlines
Two headline threads could keep showing up in pre-market notes and morning TV:
- Super Hornet contract: investors may interpret this as incremental support for Boeing Defense, Space & Security’s backlog and long-duration revenue. The contract structure and timeline (through 2028) are worth noting. [15]
- Air Force One/747-8 procurement: this can cut both ways. The training aircraft purchase itself may not move financial needles, but the story revives focus on the VC-25B schedule and Boeing’s history of charges on fixed-price defense programs. [16]
4) Production-rate expectations vs. FAA reality
If the market picks up the “63 per month” narrative, the key investor question tomorrow will be: Is Boeing ready to climb from “stabilized ~38” toward 42, then 47/52—and eventually beyond—without quality setbacks?
That’s why the FlightPlan note is relevant even if it’s not an official Boeing statement: it focuses attention on the exact metric that tends to drive Boeing’s cash-flow debate—narrowbody output stability. [17]
5) Technical levels traders may watch at the open
This is not a forecast—just the nearby levels that often matter for next-day positioning given today’s price action:
- Near-term support: around $206 (today’s close) and the $205.84 area (today’s low).
- Near-term resistance: the $210–$211 zone (today’s session high was $210.60).
If futures are volatile on CPI, Boeing can easily test these levels early.
Bottom line for Boeing stock heading into Thursday
Boeing stock is essentially unchanged after hours—a sign that, at least tonight, the market is treating today’s news flow as incremental rather than thesis-changing. [18]
But heading into Thursday, Boeing remains a stock where the “next big move” usually comes from one of three sources:
- FAA / certification / quality headlines that alter delivery confidence,
- production-rate evidence that supports (or undermines) the cash-flow recovery narrative, and
- defense program execution—either via contract wins (positive) or schedule/cost concerns (negative). [19]
With CPI scheduled for 8:30 AM ET, expect macro-driven volatility to set the tone at the open—then watch whether Boeing-specific headlines (especially around production and defense execution) add a second layer of movement after the first wave of inflation reactions. [20]
References
1. public.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.defense.gov, 6. wisk.aero, 7. aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org, 8. wisk.aero, 9. flightplan.forecastinternational.com, 10. flightplan.forecastinternational.com, 11. www.marketwatch.com, 12. finviz.com, 13. www.newyorkfed.org, 14. fred.stlouisfed.org, 15. www.defense.gov, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. flightplan.forecastinternational.com, 18. public.com, 19. www.defense.gov, 20. www.newyorkfed.org
