NEW YORK, Jan 17, 2026, 12:35 PM EST — Market closed
- RTX shares climbed 1.05% Friday, hitting $201.92—a fresh 52-week peak and the stock’s seventh consecutive gain
- Susquehanna raised its price target for RTX to $230 ahead of the aerospace and defense earnings preview
- Attention shifts to earnings on Jan. 27 and any news on Pratt & Whitney’s progress with its geared turbofan engine
RTX Corp. shares closed Friday up 1.05% at $201.92, marking their seventh consecutive gain and hitting a fresh 52-week high—the stock’s best closing price in a year—even as the broader market declined.
RTX is now trading close to its recent highs as earnings season for aerospace and defense approaches. Analysts are adjusting their forecasts for the sector in 2026. Susquehanna’s Charles Minervino lifted his price target to $230 from $205, maintaining a Positive rating and describing the industry outlook as “quite favorable.” TipRanks
RTX will release its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings on Jan. 27 before the U.S. market opens, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET. After the stock saw a sharp move earlier this year, investors are focused on the company’s 2026 outlook update.
Defense stocks mostly held their ground on Friday. Northrop Grumman climbed 1.88%, while Lockheed Martin added 0.79%, highlighting the sector’s resilience even as major indexes slipped.
RTX’s shares swung between $199.64 and $202.24 on Friday, starting the session at $200.09. Around 4.83 million shares changed hands.
Policy risk remains unresolved. Defense stocks have fluctuated this month amid investor reactions to President Donald Trump’s call for a larger 2027 U.S. military budget, coupled with his critiques of the sector’s production speed.
That pressure works both ways for RTX and its rivals. Trump has threatened to stop defense contractors from issuing dividends or repurchasing shares until they ramp up weapons production. This move has thrown doubt over if — or how — shareholder payouts might be limited.
Pratt & Whitney is still a focal point on the commercial front. Data from Aviation Week revealed that Airbus A320-family jets equipped with GTF engines suffered some of the worst durability problems in the geared turbofan program. The “ground days” metric — which tracks how long planes sit idle — climbed back toward the high 30% range by the end of 2025. Aviation Week
The rally leaves little margin for error. Should engine turnaround times not get better, or if airlines demand more on compensation and delivery timetables, investors might begin to doubt how much of the positive news is already baked into the share price.
Geopolitics has reentered the spotlight. On Friday, the FAA issued warnings to airlines operating over sections of Central and South America about possible military activity and GPS disruptions tied to escalating tensions involving Venezuela. It’s a stark reminder that defense spending stories can ignite suddenly.
U.S. markets will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reopening on Tuesday. For RTX, eyes remain on Jan. 27, when the company reports earnings and updates guidance, including any comments on engine shop capacity and delivery schedules.
