Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) shares are trading higher Wednesday after the company won a contract worth more than $20 billion to develop the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation stealth fighter, beating out Northrop Grumman.
- Boeing shares are advancing steadily. What’s driving BA shares up?
Boeing Wins F/A-XX Contract, Its Second Sixth-Generation Fighter in Two Years
The Pentagon awarded Boeing the full-scale development contract for the Navy’s F/A-XX stealth fighter, set to start taking over from the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers once the 2030s arrive. Pentagon acquisition chief Michael Duffey called the aircraft a “crucial, non-negotiable investment” in U.S. air combat capability, while Boeing Defense CEO Steve Parker said the company’s facility investments leave it ready to execute the program.
This marks Boeing’s second sixth-generation fighter win in two years, coming after the company beat out Lockheed Martin in 2025 for the Air Force’s F-47 contract, a similarly sized deal north of $20 billion. This deal cements Boeing’s role as the primary contractor for both the Air Force and Navy’s next-generation jet programs.
The Navy’s selection process dragged on through multiple setbacks tied to engineering and supply-chain bottlenecks before Congress stepped in with extra funding to keep it moving. Reuters has reported the contract’s total value could eventually climb into the hundreds of billions as manufacturing ramps up and international buyers potentially sign on.
Boeing’s Chart Remains in a Longer-Term Repair Phase
Beyond today’s contract news, Boeing’s technical picture still looks shaky. Shares are sitting well beneath their 20-day, 50-day and 200-day moving averages, and a death cross that took shape in September, when the 50-day average slipped under the 200-day, points to an intermediate trend that’s been struggling for some time.
Momentum indicators aren’t offering much relief either, with the MACD line still running below its own signal line. Watch $215.50 as the level where rebounds have tended to run out of steam, sitting near the 50-day average, and $187.50 as the floor where buying interest has shown up before.
BA Shares Are Climbing
BA Price Action: Boeing shares were up 1.10% at $189.75 at the time of publication on Wednesday, according to Benzinga Pro.
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