iShares US Aerospace & Defense

In 2013, Lockheed Martin clocked revenues of $45.4 billion. Of its revenues, 82% come from the U.S. government, around 17% from international customers, and 1% from other U.S. commercial customers.

In September 2015, Honeywell acquired Aviaso Software, a privately held aviation software company based in Switzerland. Aviaso develops and provides fuel efficiency and emission-saving software to the airline industry.

Boeing has reportedly lost a huge aircraft order to Airbus. According to Reuters, GE Capital Aviation Services has ordered 25 Airbus planes.

Boeing aims to launch its ultra-wide-body long-range 777X jet next year. However, launch customer Emirates suspects this might not be possible.

Boeing’s (BA) 787 Dreamliner program might be in trouble. A major customer has canceled billions of dollars’ worth of orders.

Air New Zealand announced this morning that it had signed a deal with Boeing (BA) to buy eight 787-10 Dreamliner planes, according to Reuters.

Boeing (BA) stock closed 3% higher yesterday after the company said its latest 777X issues wouldn’t impact its test schedule.

New regulatory problems may further delay Boeing’s (BA) delivery of its first ultra-long-range 777X series plane, hindering some airlines’ plans.

IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac has expressed concerns about a rift among global airline regulators over the approval Boeing’s (BA) 737 MAX’s return to service.

Boeing received positive news today. The aircraft manufacturer unveiled that it had received new orders for its twin-aisle wide-body 777-300ER aircraft.

Boeing (BA) stock closed 4.2% higher yesterday on news of its production ramp-up plan for its troubled 737 MAX planes.

Yesterday, the US Air Force awarded a $999 million contract to Boeing (BA) to upgrade the wings of its A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.

Boeing (BA) stock gained more than 2% on Tuesday. There’s hope that the Boeing 737 MAX planes might return to service quickly.

The 737 MAX fiasco is expected to hurt Boeing’s (BA) second-quarter financial results severely.

Boeing (BA) has been lagging behind Airbus in the order-booking race for the past few years. However, the company seems set on breaking that record this year.

The December PPI fell 0.1% month-over-month—compared to a 0.4% increase in November and October. The final demand index rose 2.6% in 2017.

The average work week The US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ establishment survey includes data on the number of hours worked by manufacturing employees. Changes in the number of working hours help investors assess the health of the sector. A rise in the number of working hours signals that companies are projecting higher demand in the manufacturing sector […]

This has been one of the best years since 2004 for manufacturing activity, viewed through the Purchasing Managers’ Index (or PMI).

The October Producer Price Index rose 0.4% month-over-month, and it was unchanged compared to the September reading. On a year-over-year basis, the index has risen 2.8%.

The US Manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers’ index) for the month of October fell to 58.7, compared with 60.8 in September.

The Canadian Air Force placed an order for 65 Lockheed Martin (LMT) F-35 fighter jets for $30 billion. The CAF canceled the order and replaced it with 18 Boeing CF-18 aircraft for $5.2 billion.

Renewed tensions arising out of North Korea’s missile launch on Tuesday had a major impact on volatility. Asian markets have declined more than 1% as risk aversion dominated markets.

Some companies benefit in times of uncertainty, and some sectors provide cover for investors.

Honeywell (HON) purchased Com Dev for $345 million net of debt and cash, which was equivalent to ten times the EBITDA of the target.

Both Honeywell and United Technologies recently confirmed that they had engaged in conversations related to a potential merger to create a global aerospace behemoth.

On November 24, Alcoa announced the executive management structure to be introduced following its split.

Boeing (BA) is one of the world’s largest aerospace companies. The company is a top US exporter. It’s focused on innovation.