Boeing (BA) shares closed meaningfully higher on April 1 after the aerospace giant secured a new seven-year framework agreement with the Pentagon to triple production of PAC-3 missile seekers.
The rally helped BA break above its 20-day moving average (MA) this morning, a technical setup that often signals shifting near-term momentum in favor of the bulls.
Boeing stock, however, has yet to recover its year-to-date losses entirely — and is currently down nearly 10% versus the start of 2026.
The landmark Pentagon agreement is a significant win for Boeing’s defense arm.
By committing to triple the output of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) seekers at the Huntsville facility, BA is addressing a critical bottleneck in the U.S. missile defense supply chain.
This long-term framework offers the demand signal necessary for Boeing to scale its infrastructure without straining its balance sheet, as the firm noted these investments will be largely cash-neutral.
Investors view this as a stabilizing force that diversifies Boeing’s revenue away from the embattled commercial aircraft division, clearing the path for BA shares to stage a strong comeback in 2026.
Wells Fargo recommends long-term investors to load up on Boeing shares into strength today, given that they’re trading at a steep discount to the company’s aerospace peers.
In a note to clients, the investment firm highlighted a significant “turnaround opportunity,” projecting a sharp recovery in free cash flow as production for the 737 MAX and 787 Dreamliner normalizes.
This would unlock working capital currently tied up in unfinished inventory, which, together with a record-high order backlog, may help BA climb all the way back to its year-to-date high, it added.
Wells Fargo’s “Overweight” rating on the NYSE-listed giant comes with a $250 price target, signaling potential upside of about 21% from here.
Other Wall Street firms are even more bullish than Wells Fargo on Boeing for the next 12 months.
According to Barchart, the consensus rating on BA stock sits at “Strong Buy” currently, with the mean price target of $271 indicating potential for another 31% rally from here.
