Boeing posts smaller-than-expected loss as recovery gains traction, shares jump

By Dan Catchpole

SEATTLE, April 22 (Reuters) – Boeing on Wednesday reported a much smaller first-quarter loss than analysts expected, a sign of continued operational recovery at the U.S. planemaker after years of crises that dented its reputation and left it with a mountain of debt.

The company posted a $7 million net loss for the quarter, smaller than a $31 million loss during the same period 12 months ago. The core loss per share of 20 cents was far lower than the 83 cents per share average loss expected by analysts, according to LSEG data.

Boeing shares rose 5% in midday trading.

“We’re off to a good start and continue building on our momentum with stronger performance across our business,” CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a memo to employees after the results were released.

A major order from Chinese airlines could come during a meeting in May between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ortberg told Reuters during an interview, adding that Trump’s support is critical to closing it. 

‘LONG-CYCLE BUSINESS’

Ortberg said he does not expect major shocks to Boeing from the Iran war.

“We’ve had no dialogue with any customer about deferral of deliveries” of jetliners, he said. “This is a very long-cycle business. I’d be surprised if we see any major changes coming out of them.”

Instead, customers have asked “that if we do see any slots opening up because of delays, that they’d like to jump in and take those airplanes,” Ortberg said.

Boeing burned through $1.5 billion of cash in the quarter, due largely to significant spending to expand capabilities for 787 production in South Carolina and military jet production in the St. Louis area, as well as opening a 737 MAX production line in Everett, Washington.

The company produces around 42 of its best-selling single-aisle jets a month and expects to increase to 47 by year-end.

Ongoing efforts to certify the 737-7 and -10, the smallest and largest MAX variants, respectively, and the 777X also contributed to the cash burn.

Boeing expects U.S. regulators to certify the MAX 7 and 10 this year, followed by first deliveries in 2027.

Boeing is incorporating design changes in early-build 777X jets in anticipation of the first delivery next year, Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave said during a conference call with analysts. 

STRONG JET DELIVERIES, DEFENSE EARNINGS

Revenue at Boeing’s commercial jet division rose 13% to $9.2 billion, buoyed by its highest first-quarter deliveries since 2019. However, it still lost $563 million in the quarter.

Boeing’s acquisition in late 2025 of Spirit AeroSystems, which makes 737 fuselages, incurred higher-than-expected costs, which were a drag on the commercial airplanes division, Ortberg told Reuters.

The higher costs are not due to production quality issues, which have plagued Spirit AeroSystems in recent years, he said.

Its defense and space division’s earnings rose 50% to $233 million in the first quarter, during which its Space Launch System rocket, a joint venture with Northrop Grumman, successfully launched NASA’s Artemis II mission around the moon.

Analysts and company leadership expect the company to continue benefiting from increased defense spending around the world amid wars in the Middle East and Ukraine and heightened geopolitical tensions.

Last year, the Pentagon awarded the company the contract for the country’s first sixth-generation fighter, the F-47, and it is a finalist for the U.S. Navy’s sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter.

The company’s steadiest division, global services, booked a 3% increase in operating income of $971 million. However, its operating margin dropped slightly to 18.1%, which leadership attributed to the $10.6 billion sale last year of its digital aviation services subsidiary Jeppesen.

Boeing recorded a loss of 11 cents per diluted share, or 20 cents per share for core operations in the first quarter, compared to a 16-cent loss per diluted share a year earlier.

(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Jamie Freed, Rod Nickel)