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Boeing Down 10.6% in a Month: Is This an Indication to Sell the Stock?
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Key Takeaways
Boeing's debt remains high as production delays, order cancellations and 777X setbacks weigh on execution.
Boeing secured seven-year PAC-3 MSE and MH-139A contracts, boosting defense demand and production visibility.
Boeing trades at a discounted P/S valuation, but poor ROIC and uneven cash generation remain concerns.
The Boeing Company’s (BA - Free Report) shares have lost 10.6% in the past month compared with the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry’s decline of 9%. BA continues to carry a significant debt burden despite ongoing efforts to reduce its leverage. While the company’s balance sheet is gradually improving, its high debt levels continue to absorb financial capacity that could otherwise support investments, growth initiatives or shareholder returns.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other defense stocks, such as Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) and Lockheed Martin (LMT - Free Report) , have lost 8.7% and 6.8%, respectively. Northrop Grumman is supported by strong backlog levels, higher defense spending and growing demand across strategic deterrence, missile defense, space and advanced aircraft. Similarly, Lockheed Martin benefits from a robust backlog, increasing munitions production and strong alignment with United States and allied defense priorities, providing a foundation for sustained growth.
Considering Boeing’s underperformance, investors may be wondering whether now is a good time to add the stock to their portfolios. Let’s examine the factors and assess the company’s investment prospects to make a more informed decision.
Key Headwinds Facing BA Stock
Boeing’s consolidated debt totaled $45.9 billion as of the end of the second quarter, down $1.3 billion sequentially and $8.2 billion year to date. Cash and marketable securities totaled $20.0 billion, while $10.0 billion of credit facilities remained undrawn. The balance sheet is improving, but debt still absorbs financial capacity that could otherwise support investment or shareholder returns. Boeing expects free cash flow of $1 billion to $3 billion in 2026, with a $700 million DOJ payment scheduled for the third quarter. Management remains committed to debt reduction and preserving its investment-grade rating. Until cash generation becomes more durable, leverage will remain an important constraint on financial flexibility.
The order book is growing, but slow production, delayed deliveries and ongoing inspections could be turning customers away from Boeing’s commercial aeroplanes, leading to recent order cancellations. Aircraft order cancellations during the six months ended June 30, 2026, totaled $2.78 billion and primarily relate to 737 aircraft. Additionally, the 777X program has suffered repeated postponements and significant cost overruns. The Boeing 777X program is running seven years late, with an expected entry-into-service date in 2027. These delays—driven by rigorous FAA scrutiny, design changes and part cracks—have resulted in significant cost overruns.
Factors Acting in Favor of BA Stock
On Oct. 5, 2026, Boeing announced that it received a seven-year contract from Lockheed Martin to scale production and deliver PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (“MSE”) seekers. The award formalizes a previously announced seven-year framework and allows Boeing to triple PAC-3 MSE seeker production. The contract strengthens Boeing's Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business by providing greater visibility into long-term defense demand and supporting higher production volumes for a critical missile-defense component.
On Oct. 1, 2026, Boeing announced that it had received an order for the first four full-rate production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters after the U.S. Air Force declared the program had reached initial operational capability earlier in the year. The award moves the Grey Wolf program into full-rate production and supports the Air Force’s plans to deploy the helicopter to protect critical national assets, including strategic missile fields. The new order brings the total number of MH-139A helicopters under contract to 42, with Boeing having already delivered 27.
Estimates for BA Stock
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boeing’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year improvement of 91.45%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for Northrop Grumman’s 2026 EPS suggests year-over-year growth of 9.45%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lockheed Martin’s 2026 EPS implies a year-over-year rise of 31.7%.
BA’s Earnings Surprise History
The company beat on earnings in one of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other three, delivering an average negative surprise of 113.46%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BA Stock’s Poor ROIC
The image below shows that BA stock’s trailing 12-month return on invested capital (ROIC) not only lags the peer group’s average return but also reflects a negative figure. This suggests that the company's investments are not yielding sufficient returns to cover its expenses.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BA Stock Trades at a Discount
In terms of valuation, Boeing’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 1.36X, a discount to the industry’s average of 2.11X. This suggests that investors will be paying a lower price than the company's expected sales growth compared with that of its peer group.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What Should Be the Next Move?
Boeing is making progress on debt reduction, but elevated leverage and uneven cash generation continue to constrain financial flexibility. Commercial-aircraft production delays, order cancellations and 777X setbacks remain key risks, while growing defense contracts provide a positive offset by strengthening demand and production visibility.
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Boeing Down 10.6% in a Month: Is This an Indication to Sell the Stock?
Key Takeaways
The Boeing Company’s (BA - Free Report) shares have lost 10.6% in the past month compared with the Zacks Aerospace-Defense industry’s decline of 9%. BA continues to carry a significant debt burden despite ongoing efforts to reduce its leverage. While the company’s balance sheet is gradually improving, its high debt levels continue to absorb financial capacity that could otherwise support investments, growth initiatives or shareholder returns.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Shares of other defense stocks, such as Northrop Grumman (NOC - Free Report) and Lockheed Martin (LMT - Free Report) , have lost 8.7% and 6.8%, respectively. Northrop Grumman is supported by strong backlog levels, higher defense spending and growing demand across strategic deterrence, missile defense, space and advanced aircraft. Similarly, Lockheed Martin benefits from a robust backlog, increasing munitions production and strong alignment with United States and allied defense priorities, providing a foundation for sustained growth.
Considering Boeing’s underperformance, investors may be wondering whether now is a good time to add the stock to their portfolios. Let’s examine the factors and assess the company’s investment prospects to make a more informed decision.
Key Headwinds Facing BA Stock
Boeing’s consolidated debt totaled $45.9 billion as of the end of the second quarter, down $1.3 billion sequentially and $8.2 billion year to date. Cash and marketable securities totaled $20.0 billion, while $10.0 billion of credit facilities remained undrawn. The balance sheet is improving, but debt still absorbs financial capacity that could otherwise support investment or shareholder returns. Boeing expects free cash flow of $1 billion to $3 billion in 2026, with a $700 million DOJ payment scheduled for the third quarter. Management remains committed to debt reduction and preserving its investment-grade rating. Until cash generation becomes more durable, leverage will remain an important constraint on financial flexibility.
The order book is growing, but slow production, delayed deliveries and ongoing inspections could be turning customers away from Boeing’s commercial aeroplanes, leading to recent order cancellations. Aircraft order cancellations during the six months ended June 30, 2026, totaled $2.78 billion and primarily relate to 737 aircraft. Additionally, the 777X program has suffered repeated postponements and significant cost overruns. The Boeing 777X program is running seven years late, with an expected entry-into-service date in 2027. These delays—driven by rigorous FAA scrutiny, design changes and part cracks—have resulted in significant cost overruns.
Factors Acting in Favor of BA Stock
On Oct. 5, 2026, Boeing announced that it received a seven-year contract from Lockheed Martin to scale production and deliver PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (“MSE”) seekers. The award formalizes a previously announced seven-year framework and allows Boeing to triple PAC-3 MSE seeker production. The contract strengthens Boeing's Defense, Space & Security (BDS) business by providing greater visibility into long-term defense demand and supporting higher production volumes for a critical missile-defense component.
On Oct. 1, 2026, Boeing announced that it had received an order for the first four full-rate production MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters after the U.S. Air Force declared the program had reached initial operational capability earlier in the year. The award moves the Grey Wolf program into full-rate production and supports the Air Force’s plans to deploy the helicopter to protect critical national assets, including strategic missile fields. The new order brings the total number of MH-139A helicopters under contract to 42, with Boeing having already delivered 27.
Estimates for BA Stock
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Boeing’s 2026 earnings per share (EPS) indicates a year-over-year improvement of 91.45%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The consensus estimate for Northrop Grumman’s 2026 EPS suggests year-over-year growth of 9.45%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Lockheed Martin’s 2026 EPS implies a year-over-year rise of 31.7%.
BA’s Earnings Surprise History
The company beat on earnings in one of the trailing four quarters and missed in the other three, delivering an average negative surprise of 113.46%.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BA Stock’s Poor ROIC
The image below shows that BA stock’s trailing 12-month return on invested capital (ROIC) not only lags the peer group’s average return but also reflects a negative figure. This suggests that the company's investments are not yielding sufficient returns to cover its expenses.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BA Stock Trades at a Discount
In terms of valuation, Boeing’s forward 12-month price-to-sales (P/S) is 1.36X, a discount to the industry’s average of 2.11X. This suggests that investors will be paying a lower price than the company's expected sales growth compared with that of its peer group.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
What Should Be the Next Move?
Boeing is making progress on debt reduction, but elevated leverage and uneven cash generation continue to constrain financial flexibility. Commercial-aircraft production delays, order cancellations and 777X setbacks remain key risks, while growing defense contracts provide a positive offset by strengthening demand and production visibility.
Considering current execution challenges, price performance and poor ROIC, it is advisable to avoid the stock at present. BA has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.