NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 22:14 ET — Market closed
- Boeing shares last closed down 0.8% at $216.44.
- Congress stepped in to keep the Air Force’s Boeing-built E-7 Wedgetail prototypes alive after costs climbed, the Wall Street Journal reported. [1]
- EVA Air approved a plan to buy four Boeing 787-9s; Air India Express is due to take its first “line-fit” 737-8 MAX on Monday, reports said. [2]
Boeing shares will head into Monday’s session with fresh attention on its defense programs after the Wall Street Journal reported Congress stepped in to keep funding for the U.S. Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail radar jet effort. [3]
The planemaker’s stock last closed down 0.8% at $216.44 on Friday.
The development matters because Boeing’s defense portfolio can swing quarterly results when programs run over budget, even as investors stay focused on the company’s broader push to increase commercial jet deliveries and improve cash generation.
Boeing traded between $216.11 and $218.66 on Friday on volume of about 2.8 million shares, according to market data.
The Journal said the Pentagon earlier this year planned to cancel the purchase of two prototype E-7 jets after costs climbed to about $724 million per aircraft from roughly $588 million in the program’s early stages. [4]
Congress blocked the Pentagon from ending the Wedgetail contract and lined up $847 million in additional funding for the prototypes, the Journal reported. [5]
The E-7 is based on Boeing’s 737 airframe and is designed to scan for threats at long range while helping coordinate fighters and other aircraft in the air, the Journal said. [6]
On the commercial side, EVA Air’s board approved a plan to spend up to $1.94 billion to buy four Boeing 787-9 widebody aircraft and extend leases on four Boeing 777-300ERs, the Taipei Times reported, citing a company statement. [7]
The airline also approved up to $152 million to upgrade cabins on six 777-300ER passenger aircraft, with refits scheduled to begin next year, the report said. [8]
In India, Air India Express is set to receive its first “line-fit” Boeing 737-8 MAX on Monday, the Economic Times reported, citing PTI. [9]
“Line-fit” means the plane is built for a specific airline from the factory, while “white-tail” aircraft are jets originally made for another carrier but delivered to a different customer, the newspaper said. [10]
Air India Express Managing Director Aloke Singh told staff the carrier had crossed the 100-aircraft mark and inducted 25 aircraft in 2025, including 14 Boeing MAX jets, the Economic Times reported. [11]
Before Monday’s open, investors will watch for any follow-on detail on the Wedgetail timetable and costs, as well as whether airline fleet plans translate into firm orders and near-term deliveries. [12]
Boeing’s next quarterly report is estimated for Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, based on past reporting schedules, according to MarketBeat, putting a near-term spotlight on delivery pace and any defense program charges. [13]
Traders will also be watching Friday’s low near $216 and the session high around $219 as the nearest reference points when U.S. markets reopen.
References
1. www.wsj.com, 2. www.taipeitimes.com, 3. www.wsj.com, 4. www.wsj.com, 5. www.wsj.com, 6. www.wsj.com, 7. www.taipeitimes.com, 8. www.taipeitimes.com, 9. m.economictimes.com, 10. m.economictimes.com, 11. m.economictimes.com, 12. www.wsj.com, 13. www.marketbeat.com
