The Boeing Company (BA) is the world's largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top u.s. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers. Boeing products and tailored services include commercial and military aircraft, satellites, weapons, electronic and defense systems, launch systems, advanced information and communication systems, and performance-based logistics and training. Boeing has a long tradition of aerospace leadership and innovation. The company continues to expand its product line and services to meet emerging customer needs. Its broad range of capabilities includes creating new, more efficient members of its commercial airplane family; designing, building and integrating military platforms and defense systems; creating advanced technology solutions; and arranging innovative financing and service options for customers
It will be an interesting week for investors as the markets have a lot to digest when it comes to the possibility of a US-China trade war. While some proclaim trade wars “easy,” it certainly will not be a cakewalk for some industries if things escalate and China decides to retaliate against key US companies.
One example of a vulnerable firm is Boeing. The aerospace giant is just the sort of company that could be knocked off its game if a trade war really takes hold. The Chinese would most certainly try to maximize pain for maximal gain and Boeing presents a juicy target for such a scenario.
The firm is not a commodity producer. Its products are high value and high dollar. It takes a lot of cheap textiles and steel to match the cost of just one Boeing aircraft. The firm's workers are skilled and high-salaried. The jobs the company provides are the sort that elected officials break out every tax incentive and benefit in order to lure them to their states.
For now, we retain a BUY on the company. As always, we remind readers that our quant-based systems run on fundamental financial data, they cannot read the headlines. So, make sure you do your research if you intend to buy this stock “on the dip.” We find nothing wrong financially with the company, and we believe it remains a high-quality component for just about any portfolio. However, if China and the US continue down the current path, we could see some damage to this venerable firm.
