So we know that aerospace stock Boeing (BA) had a terrible 2024, but there are more than a few who are looking for a much, much brighter 2025. Among them, currently out in space, are the two totally-not-stranded Boeing astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. Both are still eager to come home after the latest delay in their return that prompted Boeing to turn to SpaceX for a ride home instead.
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A report from WESH television offered some more insight into the astronauts’ current predicament. The two seem comparatively pleased with their treatment; they noted that “…for a while…we wore some of the same clothes,” but now, “…we have plenty of clothes. We’re well-fed.”
Despite this unexpected admission of positive treatment that sounds less like an astronaut speaking and more like a hostage situation, both Wilmore and Williams are eager to return home. This should happen this spring, though given that the return has been delayed more than once already, that may not ultimately come to pass. The mission was originally set to last between eight and 10 days, but after multiple issues just getting the spacecraft launched, multiple delays set in that extended the mission past the eight to 10 month mark.
A Boost from Protectionism
Meanwhile, Airbus’ (EADSY) CEO, Guillaume Faury, took to a Reuters interview to talk about a “…possibly robust protectionist stance taken by the next U.S government.” Faury, who also chairs the GIFAS aerospace association in France, not that Boeing and Airbus are still “…under intense competition.” While Boeing is still laboring under a federally-mandated production cap, that may come off sometime this year, and Boeing can get back into production as fully—and hopefully safely—as possible.
But with the potential rise of Chinese jet making, as evidenced by the Comac C919, that may introduce a new element of instability into an already altered market. That may prompt the incoming Trump administration to take special steps to give Boeing an edge in the field.
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 15 Buys, six Holds and one Sell assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 24.61% loss in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $195.26 per share implies 13.68% upside potential.
