Ryanair ended talks for an order worth tens of billions of dollars
The shares of Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) are down 1.8% at $214.26 at last check, after Ryanair, a major customer of the blue-chip plane manufacturer, ended talks for a multi-billion dollar order. Digging deeper, Ryanair walked away from a purchase of Boeing's 737 MAX 10 jets, which would have been worth tens of billion of dollars, after a dispute arose over the price of the deal.
Today's small dip is still enough to bring Boeing stock within a hairs breadth of its year-to-date breakeven level, as the equity was up just 1.9% on the year coming into today. The 100-day moving average has guided the shares lower since a small mid-August bear gap, while a short term floor at the $216 level was just breeched. Meanwhile, longer term, BA is up 29.3% year-over-year.
An unwinding of bearish sentiment in the options pits could put some wind at Boeing stock's back. The security's Schaeffer's put/call open interest ratio (SOIR) stands higher than 98% of other readings from the past year, suggesting short-term options traders have rarely been more put-biased.
Analysts, meanwhile, have been overwhelmingly bullish. Of the 16 in coverage, 10 call BA a "strong buy," while six say "hold." Plus, the 12-month consensus price target of $264.17 is a 21.1% premium to last night's close.