First Trust Advisors LP Grows Stake in The Boeing Company $BA

Key Points

• First Trust Advisors LP raised its Boeing stake 31.9% in Q3, buying 61,897 shares to hold 255,883 shares worth about $55.23 million, while institutions now own roughly 64.82% of BA (Vanguard holds 66.77M shares).
• Boeing posted a major quarterly beat—EPS $9.92 vs. -$0.40 expected and revenue of $23.95B (up 57.1% year‑over‑year)—but analysts still see mixed signals (consensus FY EPS forecast -2.58) and the stock faces valuation and operational risks such as a wiring flaw; the average analyst rating is a “Moderate Buy” with a $246.14 price target.

First Trust Advisors LP raised its holdings in The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA - Free Report) by 31.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 255,883 shares of the aircraft producer's stock after buying an additional 61,897 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP's holdings in Boeing were worth $55,227,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Boeing by 1.7% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 66,773,360 shares of the aircraft producer's stock valued at $13,991,022,000 after acquiring an additional 1,118,316 shares in the last quarter. Ninety One UK Ltd bought a new position in Boeing in the 3rd quarter worth $192,734,000. Amundi raised its holdings in Boeing by 75.5% in the 2nd quarter. Amundi now owns 1,776,634 shares of the aircraft producer's stock worth $376,700,000 after purchasing an additional 764,236 shares in the last quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC lifted its position in shares of Boeing by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 29,198,446 shares of the aircraft producer's stock worth $6,301,901,000 after purchasing an additional 707,490 shares during the period. Finally, Rovida Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Boeing during the 2nd quarter valued at about $129,231,000. 64.82% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Boeing Price Performance

BA stock opened at $214.10 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $235.78 and a 200-day moving average price of $219.61. The Boeing Company has a 52-week low of $128.88 and a 52-week high of $254.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $168.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 106.52 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 8.37, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 1.19.

Boeing (NYSE:BA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 27th. The aircraft producer reported $9.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.40) by $10.32. The company had revenue of $23.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $22.41 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($5.90) EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 57.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that The Boeing Company will post -2.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on BA. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Boeing from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley set a $245.00 price objective on shares of Boeing in a report on Wednesday, January 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of Boeing in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Wolfe Research reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of Boeing in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Argus upgraded Boeing to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Boeing has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $246.14.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Uma M. Amuluru sold 1,503 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $233.78, for a total value of $351,371.34. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 19,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,445,326.70. This represents a 7.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Ann M. Schmidt sold 6,281 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $243.37, for a total value of $1,528,606.97. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 13,978 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,401,825.86. The trade was a 31.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 21,012 shares of company stock valued at $4,980,687. 0.09% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Boeing

Here are the key news stories impacting Boeing this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Boeing picked up a new defense order that bolsters near‑term sales and defense backlog; defense wins help revenue visibility amid strong military demand. Boeing Picks Up Another Defense Order
• Positive Sentiment: UBS reiterated a Buy rating and $285 price target, citing improving production, a robust backlog and widebody ramp‑up — a vote of confidence that can support investor sentiment. Boeing: Improving Production, Robust Backlog, and Widebody Ramp-Up Underpin Buy Rating
• Positive Sentiment: February deliveries were the strongest for Boeing in several years and beat Airbus for the month (51 jets), supporting the production‑recovery narrative and showing demand is intact. Boeing Beats European Rival Airbus in February Deliveries
• Positive Sentiment: Short interest declined ~15% in February, reducing acute short‑pressure and signaling some investor confidence in the turnaround story. MarketBeat Boeing Short Interest Data
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyses and commentary are re‑testing Boeing’s valuation as the share price has swung, leaving investors weighing upside from backlog/defense against execution risks. Boeing (BA) Valuation In Focus After Recent Share Price Weakness And Conflicting Fair Value Signals
• Negative Sentiment: Boeing disclosed scratched wiring in undelivered 737 MAX jets traced to a machining error; the company warned this could slow some Q1 deliveries — the immediate operational risk that has pressured the stock. Boeing stock falls on wiring flaw discovery in 737 MAX jets

Boeing Company Profile

Boeing Company NYSE: BA is an American multinational corporation that designs, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense systems, and space and security technologies. Founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, the company today operates as an integrated aerospace and defense contractor with a global customer base. Boeing relocated its corporate headquarters to Arlington, Virginia in 2022 and maintains extensive engineering, manufacturing and service operations across the United States and around the world.

Boeing's principal lines of business include Commercial Airplanes, which produces and supports a range of jetliners used by airlines globally; Defense, Space & Security, which develops military aircraft, rotorcraft, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, satellites, and launch and missile systems; and Boeing Global Services, which provides aftermarket maintenance, training, spare parts, digital analytics and logistics support.

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