Boeing Is a Jedi Master

• Report this Comment On October 14, 2009, at 4:32 PM, catoismymotor wrote:

  Don't be too proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy Airbus is insignificant next to the power of the Force.

• Report this Comment On October 14, 2009, at 4:49 PM, FBEditorial wrote:

  So after deriding BA continuously, it seems surprising that the IDS division does yield benefits after all.

  Fortunately, smart investors and analysts know that Boeing is not just the company building the 747 and 787.

  It has a healthy, diverse business set up - but of course, its the usual 787 delays that seem to make some of the Motley Fool pieces nothing but short on depth when thats the only focus, forgetting altogether that Boeing IDS is just a big a core function as is BCA.

  Its about time this tunnel-vision commentary on Boeing ended and the company seen in a big picture.

  Why dont you tell us about EADS huh?

  About how EADS relies on 86%, yes EIGHTY SIX PERCENT from Airbus to survive.

  If you want to discuss the sector, discuss it all or nothing, frankly.

• Report this Comment On October 14, 2009, at 5:13 PM, njusko wrote:

  FYI, the C-130 is a Lockheed plane, not a Boeing one. That is the exact equivalent of writing a story about trucks and saying a "Chevy F-150", doesn't help the credibility.

• Report this Comment On October 14, 2009, at 5:33 PM, TMFDitty wrote:

  Thanks for the feedback, FBEditorial. Actually, though, I have discussed this before:

  http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2009/06/04/boeing-once...

  "...Let's take a look at a few other numbers to see how Boeing can come out of this game a winner, no matter what. Last year, a series of crippling labor disputes helped dunk the operating profit margin at Boeing's commercial division to less than 4.2%. Airbus, in contrast, emerged from a multiyear funk to earn a 6.4% margin on its planes. As things now stand, Boeing can ill-afford to sacrifice profits to win new business. It must earn reasonable profits on its sales, and cannot afford to accede to United's terms.

  Interestingly though, if you draw back a bit in how you view Boeing and Airbus, the situation reverses itself. Boeing's uber-profitable defense business helps to balance out the weak commercial side of things, whereas EADS (Airbus's parent company) depends primarily on its commercial sales to counterbalance an anemic defense unit."

  --TMFDitty

• Report this Comment On October 16, 2009, at 10:42 AM, FBEditorial wrote:

  TMF Ditty - appreciate the reply, however, for the sake of clarity - particularly from an investment point of view, I would urge that your future Boeing scribings assert a position that it is not a two-product company in the 747/787.

  It must be noted that despite a string of defense setbacks (KC10 support for example), Boeing remains the second biggest defense contractor - that says a lot about its diversity and portfolio strength -something which is hardly ever covered by any outsider at all.

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