NEW YORK, Dec. 27, 2025, 2:17 p.m. ET — Market closed
The Boeing Company’s stock (NYSE: BA) heads into the final stretch of 2025 with investors weighing a fresh geopolitical headline out of China, a year-end tape that’s been unusually calm, and a still-evolving regulatory roadmap that remains central to Boeing’s turnaround narrative.
With U.S. markets closed for the weekend, Boeing shares will not trade again until the next regular session begins Monday morning. That puts extra focus on any additional developments over the next 36–48 hours—especially on U.S.-China relations and 737 MAX production and certification milestones—because those headlines won’t be priced in until Monday.
Where Boeing stock last stood
Boeing shares finished Friday’s regular session at $216.44, down 0.79% on the day, with about 2.80 million shares traded. Over the week ending Dec. 26, BA was modestly higher—about 1.1% above its Dec. 19 close of $214.08. [1]
The broader market backdrop was muted: Wall Street ended the post-holiday session nearly flat in light volume, with the Dow and S&P 500 slightly lower. Reuters cited Carson Group chief market strategist Ryan Detrick describing the move as investors “catching our breath” after a strong five-session rally, while attention turns to the seasonal “Santa Claus rally” window and the final trading days of the year. [2]
The biggest Boeing headline in the last 24–48 hours: China sanctions defense-linked firms
The most market-relevant Boeing headline over the past day came late Friday: China’s foreign ministry announced sanctions targeting 10 individuals and 20 U.S. defense firms, including Boeing’s St. Louis branch (which Reuters noted focuses on defense work), in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Reuters reported the measures include asset freezes in China and bans on domestic entities doing business with the sanctioned parties, alongside travel bans for listed individuals. [3]
Two details matter for BA stock watchers:
- Direct exposure may be limited: Reuters described the action as “largely symbolic” given China’s limited dealings with U.S. defense firms. [4]
- Commercial aviation is the sensitivity point: Reuters also underscored that China has historically been a major purchaser of Boeing civilian aircraft—and noted a September report that Boeing had been in talks to sell Chinese carriers up to 500 civilian jets, which would be a significant commercial breakthrough if it materializes amid ongoing trade and political tensions. [5]
For investors, the key weekend question is whether this remains a narrowly targeted, defense-linked action—or whether it becomes part of a broader deterioration in U.S.-China relations that could complicate Boeing’s long-term commercial re-engagement in China.
Another fresh data point: a new 737 MAX 8 delivery into Europe
In more operationally positive news, Aviation Capital Group (ACG) announced it delivered a new Boeing 737 MAX 8 to LOT Polish Airlines. ACG said this is the first of three MAX 8s it expects to deliver to LOT in coming months, expanding a relationship that dates back to 2017 when LOT leased Boeing 787s from ACG. [6]
While a leasing-company delivery announcement won’t move BA on its own, it reinforces a core pillar of the bull case: steady global demand for narrow-body jets, with Boeing’s ability to convert demand into revenue still tied to production stability, delivery cadence, and regulatory confidence.
Wall Street forecasts: higher targets, but the debate is still about execution
On the forecasting side, recent analyst commentary has skewed constructive, with price targets clustering above current levels—even as the range of opinions remains wide.
- JPMorgan raised its Boeing price target to $245 and maintained an “Overweight” stance, according to reporting aggregated by GuruFocus that attributes the call to JPMorgan analyst Seth Seifman. [7]
- MarketBeat also summarized the JPMorgan move and highlighted how mixed broader coverage can be—citing, among others, Deutsche Bank moving to “hold” with a $240 target and BNP Paribas Exane initiating with an “underperform” and a notably lower $150 target, alongside more bullish targets from firms such as UBS. [8]
Consensus numbers vary depending on the dataset and cut date. A Nasdaq article citing Fintel data said that as of Dec. 5, 2025, Boeing’s average one-year price target in that dataset was $256.62, with forecasts ranging from $222.20 to $299.25. [9]
Taken together, the “forecast” picture looks like this: analysts broadly see upside if Boeing’s operational recovery continues, but the spread in targets shows the Street still disagrees on how smoothly (and how quickly) Boeing can execute through regulatory gates and supply-chain realities.
The regulatory and production catalysts that still shape BA’s 2026 narrative
Even with China’s sanctions headline dominating the last 24 hours, Boeing’s stock has repeatedly shown that the most durable drivers are still production rates and certification timelines—especially for the MAX 7 and MAX 10.
MAX production cap: what changed in 2025
Reuters reported that in October 2025, the FAA approved Boeing raising 737 MAX production to 42 planes per month, ending a 38-plane cap that had been in place since January 2024 after the Alaska Airlines MAX 9 door-plug incident. [10]
That matters because Boeing’s cash flow is highly sensitive to production and delivery volume: a few aircraft per month, sustained, becomes meaningful when translated across a global delivery schedule.
MAX 10 and MAX 7 certification: still a multi-year timeline
On Dec. 12, Reuters reported the FAA will review Boeing’s proposed enhanced flight crew alerting system for the 737 MAX 10, part of the broader post-MAX-crisis certification reform environment. [11]
Separately, Reuters reported on Dec. 11 that Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan expects the MAX 7 to be certified around August 2026, with Southwest aiming to begin flying the type in early 2027. Reuters also noted Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg has said he anticipates certification of the MAX 7 and MAX 10 in 2026, without a tighter window. [12]
And in November, Reuters quoted WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech saying he’s seeing progress on MAX 10 certification, with WestJet’s delivery schedule still pointing to receiving its first MAX 10 in Q4 2026—while also emphasizing contingency planning if delays persist. [13]
For a more formal regulatory framing, a Federal Register posting this month reiterated that the Boeing 737-10 is “still a proposed design,” not yet type certificated, and laid out how the FAA plans to implement required safety enhancements across MAX models tied to statutory requirements. [14]
Cash flow and turnaround messaging: Boeing’s own targets remain the anchor
Boeing’s longer-term bull case continues to center on improving deliveries and a return to meaningful free cash flow. In early December, Reuters reported Boeing CFO Jay Malave said Boeing expects positive free cash flow in 2026 and higher deliveries across the 737 and 787 programs, following an expected negative cash outflow in 2025. Reuters also quoted Morningstar analyst Nicolas Owens saying investors appeared to be giving the turnaround signals more credence. [15]
Defense remains a second engine—and it’s also where geopolitics hits first
Boeing’s defense business can provide stability and long-cycle revenue visibility, but it is also more exposed to geopolitical headlines—like the China sanctions.
Earlier this week, Reuters reported Boeing was awarded a $2 billion order related to the B-52 commercial engine replacement program, citing the Pentagon. [16]
What investors should know before Monday’s session
Because the market is closed now, the immediate setup for Boeing stock is simple: weekend headlines first, price action second. Here are the key items likely to matter most when trading resumes Monday:
- Any follow-through on the China sanctions story
Watch for additional statements from Beijing, Washington, or Taiwan—and any signs the dispute broadens beyond defense-linked entities. Reuters emphasized the symbolic nature of prior defense sanctions, but also the importance of Boeing’s commercial aircraft relationship with China. [17] - Regulatory developments tied to MAX certification and production
The FAA’s MAX 10 alerting-system review and the current MAX production rate ceiling remain central to Boeing’s 2026 delivery and cash flow trajectory. [18] - Order and delivery headlines that reinforce (or challenge) demand
Delivery updates like the newly announced 737 MAX 8 handover to LOT are incremental, but they keep attention on Boeing’s ability to turn backlog demand into deliveries. [19] - Year-end market structure: thin liquidity can amplify moves
Friday’s session was described by Reuters as light-volume and catalyst-light, and only a few trading days remain in the year—conditions that can magnify stock-specific reactions when a headline hits. [20]
Bottom line
Boeing stock enters the final trading days of 2025 balancing two forces: a company-specific operational recovery story that analysts are still willing to underwrite with higher price targets, and a headline-sensitive risk backdrop where geopolitics and FAA oversight can quickly reshape sentiment. Monday’s open is likely to be driven less by technicals and more by whether the China sanctions news remains contained—or escalates into a broader narrative about Boeing’s access to one of the world’s most important aviation markets. [21]
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. www.reuters.com, 5. www.reuters.com, 6. www.businesswire.com, 7. www.gurufocus.com, 8. www.marketbeat.com, 9. www.nasdaq.com, 10. www.reuters.com, 11. www.reuters.com, 12. www.reuters.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.federalregister.gov, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.reuters.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.businesswire.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.reuters.com
