Will aerospace stock Boeing (BA) have an impact on the election? It might, actually, as new reports out suggest that the Boeing strike will have a knock-on effect in the latest jobs report, which will be released before the November 5 election. This is not good news for Boeing, either, as shares were down over 3% in Thursday afternoon’s trading.
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A CNBC report details that economists were looking for the United States to add 100,000 jobs this month. However, word from the Labor Department notes that about 44,000 workers were on strike at the time of the latest employment survey. This will show up in the jobs report, and will actually drag down the overall tally.
While economists may be looking for 100,000 jobs, the Boeing strike—which accounts for essentially three out of every four workers currently on strike in the United States—will contribute to the total being about 50,000 jobs lower than would have been without them. Naturally, Boeing is not the only culprit here, as the combined hit of Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene are also contributing factors. Meanwhile, planned layoffs are set to start in just two weeks, as layoff notices are delivered, with the last day on Boeing’s payroll set for January 17.
350 Missing Planes
Meanwhile, a report from Barron’s offers up an interesting puzzle: what happened to roughly 353 planes that Boeing was originally expected to deliver but did not? Back in 2024’s opening days, analysts looked for Boeing to deliver around 700 planes, which would have yielded an operating profit of about $5.5 billion.
The latest estimates have now pitched down to 377 jets total, which means around 353 planes are gone. Worse, the still-ongoing strike will likely drive those estimates down further. The strike certainly did contribute, as did the production cap imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). But with the missing deliverables representing around 2% of total airline capacity, there is all the more reason to get Boeing back to work.
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 two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 21.21% loss in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $195.57 per share implies 31.33% upside potential.
