Boeing has been a mess for a long time. There is no other way to put it. Between the grounding of the 737 MAX years ago and the constant quality control headlines that followed, the company became a punchline for corporate mismanagement. But if you’ve been watching the price of ba stock lately, something shifted. It’s not just noise anymore. As of mid-January 2026, the stock is trading around $247, a massive leap from the lows we saw just a few months back.
Honestly, the "turnaround" story has been promised so many times that investors became numb to it. But the numbers hitting the tape right now are hard to ignore. For the first time since 2018, Boeing actually outsold Airbus in net annual orders during 2025. Delivering 600 commercial planes in a single year isn't just a win; it's a signal that the factory floors in Renton and North Charleston are finally finding their rhythm again.
What is actually moving the price of ba stock?
The market is forward-looking. It doesn't care about the door plug that blew out in early 2024 as much as it cares about the cash flow projections for 2027. Right now, the price of ba stock is being propped up by a few very specific pillars.
First, there’s the production ramp-up. The FAA has been riding Boeing like a hawk, and for good reason. But that tight leash is starting to loosen because Boeing is actually hitting its quality benchmarks. They’ve moved the 737 production rate to 42 aircraft per month. That’s a huge psychological level for the Street. When you’re at 38, you’re surviving. At 42, you’re starting to clear that massive backlog of 6,000+ planes.
Then you have the 787 Dreamliner. It’s basically the company’s cash cow right now. They are aiming for 10 deliveries a month by later this year. When a wide-body jet that expensive starts moving in volume, the margins look a lot prettier.
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The "Trump Factor" and Defense Spending
You can't talk about Boeing without talking about the Pentagon. With the current administration's push to hike defense spending toward that $1.5 trillion mark, Boeing's Defense, Space & Security segment is looking at a windfall. We aren't just talking about fighter jets. We’re talking about the F-47 program and massive tanker contracts.
Wall Street analysts, particularly the team at Bernstein led by Douglas Harned, have labeled Boeing their "best idea for 2026." They recently hiked their price target to $298. Why? Because they see a world where demand for planes simply outstrips supply for the rest of the decade. If you want a new plane, you basically have two choices, and the other guy (Airbus) is sold out until the 2030s.
The Elephant in the Room: The 777X
It’s not all sunshine and rising charts. The 777X is still a massive headache. Certification has been pushed back so many times it feels like a running gag. Recently, we heard that the first delivery to Lufthansa is likely a 2027 story now, not 2026.
That delay is a "cash drain," as Boeing’s own CFO has admitted. It costs a fortune to keep a certification program running without being able to actually hand over the keys and get paid. This is the main thing keeping the price of ba stock from mooning past $300 immediately. The market is still waiting for proof that Boeing can finish what it starts.
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Technicals vs. Fundamentals
If you're a chart person, the price of ba stock just did something called a "golden cross" back in December. That’s when the 50-day moving average crosses above the 200-day. It usually signals a long-term trend shift.
- Current Price: ~$247
- 52-Week High: ~$248.75
- Analyst Consensus: Moderate Buy
- Top Price Target: $300 (various firms)
Some folks, like the researchers at GuruFocus, are more skeptical. They look at the "GF Value"—a mix of historical multiples and future earnings—and suggest the fair value might actually be closer to $222. They think the recent rally is a bit overextended. It’s a classic tug-of-war between the "it’s a recovery play" crowd and the "the balance sheet is still ugly" crowd.
Why 2026 feels different
In previous years, every time Boeing took a step forward, a part fell off a plane or a whistleblower surfaced. While the FAA oversight remains (and should remain) intense, the "Safety & Quality Plan" Boeing submitted is actually being executed. They've simplified instructions, digitized training, and—most importantly—reduced defects at Spirit AeroSystems by nearly 45%.
You've got a company that is finally acting like a manufacturer again instead of a financial engineering firm. That shift in culture is what long-term investors are betting on. They aren't buying the stock because of what happened last quarter; they're buying it because Boeing has an $11 billion free cash flow target for 2028.
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Actionable Insights for Investors
If you're looking at the price of ba stock and wondering if you missed the boat, keep a few things in mind:
- Watch the 737 MAX 10 certification. This is the big one. If the FAA gives the green light for the final flight test phase without more de-icing drama, the stock likely clears $270.
- Monitor delivery "pulses." Boeing tends to back-load its deliveries at the end of each quarter. If they miss a monthly target, the stock usually dips. Those dips have historically been buying opportunities during this recovery phase.
- Mind the Debt. Boeing still has a mountain of debt from the pandemic and the MAX groundings. Every rate cut from the Fed helps them, but any sign of a global recession that kills air travel demand will hit Boeing harder than most because of that leverage.
- The Airbus Gap. Airbus still delivers more planes. Until Boeing can prove it can match Airbus in narrow-body reliability, it will trade at a discount. Watch for any narrowing of that delivery gap.
Basically, the "easy" money from the $170 lows has been made. The next leg up depends on pure execution. No more excuses, just more planes leaving the hangar.
Next Steps for Your Portfolio Analysis
To get a clearer picture of whether Boeing fits your risk profile, you should compare its current "enterprise value to EBITDA" ratio against its ten-year historical average. This will tell you if you're paying a "recovery premium" that is too high relative to the actual earnings the company is generating right now. Additionally, keep an eye on the monthly OIG (Office of Inspector General) reports regarding FAA oversight; any language suggesting a "permanent' shift in oversight status will be a major catalyst for the stock's next move.