Boeing q2 earnings lift stock as backlog hits record $715 billion
Boeing shares rose premarket after a wider-than-expected adjusted loss, with investors watching delivery growth and a record backlog.
By Sal Moretti · Money Reporter
3 min read
Boeing q2 earnings gave investors plenty to chew on Tuesday: a bigger adjusted loss than Wall Street expected, rising sales, stronger defense revenue and a record $715 billion backlog.
Shares of Boeing were up 1.7% in premarket trading, according to MarketWatch. The move put the stock on pace for a fifth straight gain after it closed at a nearly four-month low on July 21.
The aircraft maker reported a net loss of $448 million for the quarter ended June 30. That was 30.9% smaller than the loss in the same period a year earlier.
On an adjusted basis, Boeing lost 76 cents a share, compared with an adjusted loss of $1.24 a share a year earlier. Analysts tracked by FactSet had expected a loss of 17 cents a share, according to MarketWatch.
Why did Boeing stock rise after its earnings?
The stock rose even though the adjusted loss was wider than expected because investors appeared to focus on Boeing’s year-over-year revenue growth, its defense and space performance, and its record backlog. A backlog is the value of orders a company has booked but has not yet filled, giving investors a view of future work already lined up.
Total revenue climbed 8% from a year earlier to $22.56 billion. MarketWatch reported that the FactSet consensus was $24.17 billion.
Boeing’s commercial airplane unit posted revenue of $11.75 billion, up 8.1% from a year earlier. The company booked 246 net orders and delivered 171 aircraft during the quarter.
The company also said production of its 737 jets began shifting during the quarter to a rate of 47 aircraft a month, up from 42.
Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said Boeing’s operations are becoming steadier and that major certification programs remain on schedule.
“Our operations are more stable, and key certification programs remain on plan,” Ortberg said. “Our focus has been on restoring trust, and we are now building on that through a sustained focus on safety, quality and on-time performance.”
Defense and space helped carry the quarter
Boeing’s defense, space and security business delivered one of the brighter numbers in the report. Revenue in that segment rose 13.1% to $7.48 billion.
The company’s total backlog rose to a record $715 billion. Boeing said that figure included more than 6,200 commercial airplanes.
For investors, that backlog number stood out because it points to demand that extends beyond a single quarter. It also gave the market something concrete to weigh against the company’s continuing losses.
How has Boeing stock performed in 2026?
Boeing shares were down 2.6% for 2026 through Tuesday, according to MarketWatch. U.S.-listed shares of rival Airbus were up 2.2% over the same period.
The S&P 500 index had gained 8.3% in 2026 through Tuesday, MarketWatch reported.
Tuesday’s premarket rise showed investors were willing, at least early in the session, to look past the earnings miss and focus on Boeing’s production progress, defense revenue and deep order book.
This story draws on original reporting from MarketWatch.