Boeing buoyed by results

Boeing’s fourth quarter net income more than doubled to $460m from $186m a year ago, while revenue increased by seven per cent to $14.2bn from $13.3bn.The company's operating margin increased to 3.2 per cent from 0.2.

Within its commercial arm, Boeing’s contractual backlog, buoyed by orders for the newly launched 747-8 program and the 787 Dreamliner, rose 37 per cent for the quarter and 89 per cent for the year to $124bn. For the Dreamliner, 27 customers had booked a total of 379 orders, of which 291 represent firm orders.

Due to strong growth in Aircraft & Weapon Systems and Support Systems, Boeings Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) revenues increased seven per cent to $8.1bn, with operating margins increasing to 11.4 per cent from 8.9 per cent. Furthermore strong performances across a number of key programmes such as the C-17 and F/A-18 ensured that Aircraft & Weapon systems’s revenue increased 18 per cent to $3.1bn.