Boeing was at risk of losing all fighter-jet production altogether. Now the stock is up on a new Navy contract.

By Nora Redmond

Rendering of the Boeing F/A-XX.

Shares in Boeing rose on Wednesday after the U.S. Navy selected the aerospace company to manufacture its next-generation fighter jet.

Its stock (BA) climbed almost 2% in premarket trading, with shares down overall about 14% since the start of the year.

The Navy announced late Tuesday that the Arlington, Va.-headquartered company was awarded a more than $20 billion contract to build its sixth-generation F/A-XX fighter jets, intended to eventually replace the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and the EA-18G Growlers in the 2030s. They will operate alongside Lockheed Martin's F-35C jets.

Boeing beat Northrop Grumman (NOC) in securing the contract. Lockheed Martin (LMT) pulled out of the race last year. Northrop Grumman's stock declined more than 4% in premarket trading, while Lockheed Martin edged lower.

"The F/A-XX is a critical pillar in our commitment to maintaining peace through strength," Michael Duffey, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment at the U.S. Department of Defense, said in a statement. "F/A-XX will dominate contested airspace, extend operational reach, and deliver a decisive combat advantage for the warfighter."

After Boeing was chosen in March of last year to develop the U.S. Air Force's F-47 jets, the company now stands as the only provider of sixth-generation aircraft.

"This award represents a near-complete reversal of Boeing's defense trajectory," aerospace and defense analysts at RBC Capital Markets, led by Ken Herbert, wrote in a Tuesday note. "Entering 2025, the company appeared to face a credible risk of exiting fighter production altogether."

This agreement effectively entirely removes competitors Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman as participants in the next-generation program for the foreseeable future, they wrote.

"This win is truly important for Boeing; for investors; however, the most meaningful financial development over time will be the company's progress boosting commercial aircraft production and cash flow per plane at BCA [Boeing Commercial Airplanes]," a team of aerospace and defense analysts at JPMorgan, led by Seth Seifman, wrote in a Tuesday note.

-Nora Redmond

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09-30-26 0639ET