New York, Feb 13, 2026, 11:05 (EST) — Regular session
- Boeing shares up about 1.8% in morning trade, beating a flat-to-soft broader market
- Boeing exec points to 40% drop in time spent fixing supply-chain problems vs 2024
- India clears initial nod for a $40 billion defence package that includes Boeing P-8I aircraft
Boeing shares rose 1.8% to $243.62 in late morning trade on Friday, after swinging between $238.62 and $246.45, while the S&P 500 ETF was little changed.
The stock has become a test of whether Boeing can keep quality issues from turning into missed deliveries and lost cash. Traders are also watching whether defense-related wins can offset a still-cautious commercial ramp.
A Boeing supply-chain executive told suppliers this week that the factory clean-up is starting to show up in the numbers. Ihssane Mounir, Boeing’s senior vice president for global supply chain and fabrication, said Boeing now spends 40% fewer hours fixing supply-chain problems than in 2024 and that defects from Spirit AeroSystems have fallen 60% since Boeing tightened inspections there in 2024. He pointed back to the Alaska Airlines 737 MAX door-plug blowout in early 2024 that led the FAA to impose monthly production caps — a limit on how many jets Boeing can build — and said Spirit “coming back into family was probably the best thing that’s happened in my career,” after Boeing bought back the Wichita, Kansas-based supplier in December. (Reuters)
India added another near-term item for defense investors to watch. The Defence Acquisition Council gave initial clearance for proposals worth 3.6 trillion rupees ($40 billion), including Boeing P-8I reconnaissance aircraft for the navy, a defence ministry statement said, without spelling out quantities or timelines; French President Emmanuel Macron is due in India on Feb 17-19. (Reuters)
Defense and aerospace names were firmer across the board. The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF rose about 1.6%, with Lockheed Martin up about 2.4%, Northrop Grumman up 1.1% and RTX up roughly 0.5%, while GE Aerospace gained about 1.8%.
For Boeing, that cross-current matters. Cleaner parts coming in on time cut “rework,” or fixing defects after the fact, and that’s what moves deliveries — the cash engine of the turnaround.
But the trade can flip quickly. Another manufacturing lapse, a sharper line from regulators, or a slower-than-hoped integration of Spirit could hit production plans again, and India’s initial clearances can still be revised, delayed or reshaped during negotiations.
Boeing’s shares remain headline-sensitive even on quiet index days. The market is watching quality metrics and production rhythm, not just order tallies.
Next, investors will look for any follow-through on the Indian P-8I proposal and for signals from suppliers and regulators that Boeing can lift factory pace without fresh defects — with Macron’s Feb 17-19 visit a near-term date on the calendar.
