Boeing’s (BA) reabsorbs Spirit, but can a broken plane maker fix itself?
Aerospace contractor Boeing (BA) announced on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, a major aerostructures manufacturer that builds key components, including fuselages, wings, and pylons, for commercial aircraft.
The deal marks a significant step in Boeing’s effort to overhaul its manufacturing operations after years of safety and quality failures.
The purchase comes roughly 18 months after Boeing announced plans to buy back Spirit for $4.7 billion as part of a broader attempt to regain control over critical production work. CEO Kelly Ortberg confirmed this week that the transaction has now closed.
“We believe this deal is in the best interest of the flying public, our airline customers, the employees of Spirit and Boeing, our shareholders and the country more broadly,” the company’s former president and CEO, Dave Calhoun, said in July 2024 when the deal was first announced.
The move represents a kind of corporate homecoming: Boeing originally spun off Spirit in 2005 as part of an outsourcing strategy aimed at reducing costs.
However, the company shifted course in recent years amid mounting criticism that outsourcing major components, including work done at Spirit, contributed to Boeing’s quality lapses.
Boeing pursued the acquisition during a turbulent period for the manufacturer, which continued to face scrutiny after two fatal 737 Max crashes and the 2024 door-plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9.
Regulators and lawmakers repeatedly questioned the company’s production oversight and fragmented supply chain.
Will the Spirit acquisition provide rocket fuel for Boeing stock?
The deal caps a strong stretch for Boeing shares, which have climbed more than 10% over the past five trading sessions. The rally was helped in part by upbeat forecasts from chief financial officer Jay Malave, who signaled improved aircraft deliveries and positive free cash flow in 2026.
Malave told a conference in early December that Boeing’s recovery was “in full force,” with anticipated growth in plane deliveries and improvements in defense revenue.
With the gain, Boeing is solidly higher on the year, up about 20%, and has gained roughly 34% over the past 12 months. The stock has now moved back above $200 after falling to the low-$120 range during its 2022 downturn.
At its current price, Boeing has a market cap of around $157 billion.
The recent momentum also aligns with what some technical analysts are seeing.
Strategist Will Meade described Boeing’s chart as a “textbook bull flag breakout,” a pattern that typically features a sharp advance, a tight period of consolidation, and then a push higher, suggesting the potential for further upside if the trend holds.
$BA Boeing textbook, bull flag breakout. pic.twitter.com/SSXPxRseM2
undefined Will Meade (@thechartdr) December 8, 2025