Howmet Aerospace, a leading aviation supplier, recently announced its fourth-quarter earnings and provided financial guidance for the year 2024. Despite the challenges faced by Boeing and its 737 MAX family of jets, Howmet’s performance indicates signs of improvement in the commercial-aerospace market.
Q4 Earnings Beat Expectations
In the fourth quarter, Howmet reported earnings per share of 53 cents on sales of $1.7 billion. This exceeded Wall Street’s expectations, as analysts had predicted earnings per share of 47 cents on sales of less than $1.7 billion, according to FactSet.
Positive Outlook for 2024
Looking ahead to 2024, Howmet’s management has projected earnings per share of $2.15 on sales of $7.1 billion. While this is slightly lower than the anticipated earnings per share of $2.17, it still demonstrates a positive outlook for the company in the coming years.
First Quarter Expectations
For the first quarter of this year, Howmet expects earnings per share of 51 cents on sales of $1.7 billion, aligning closely with analysts’ predictions. The company remains confident in its ability to maintain steady growth and meet market expectations.
Analysts’ View
Rob Stallard, an analyst at Vertical Research Partners, expressed satisfaction with the company’s performance, calling it a “good end to the year” and stating that the guidance provided by Howmet looks promising. Stallard mentioned that the company remains cautious about the aerospace industry’s outlook, waiting for sustained achievement of build rate increases at aircraft manufacturers.
Supplier’s Outlook
Howmet has taken a conservative approach by assuming that Boeing will build 34 MAX jets per month, even though Boeing has the capacity to produce about 38 jets monthly. This cautious stance is reflected in the company’s outlook.
As a leading aviation supplier, Howmet Aerospace continues to strive for excellence in the industry. These positive financial results and strong guidance for the future showcase the company’s determination to overcome challenges and deliver value to its stakeholders.
Boeing’s Production Expansion Plans
Boeing, one of the leading aircraft manufacturers, has set an ambitious goal to build 50 MAX jets per month in the future. However, before this can happen, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has required Boeing to satisfy certain criteria relating to their production and quality systems. The FAA’s directive was prompted by an incident on January 5th, where an emergency door plug blew out of a 737 MAX 9 jet operated by Alaska Air Group.
Airplane Manufacturing Projections
On the other hand, Airbus is projected to manufacture approximately 56 A320 family jets per month by the year 2024. This estimate indicates that a total of 672 A320 jets and 408 MAX jets will be produced by Airbus in that year. In the previous year, Boeing delivered 387 MAX jets, whereas Airbus managed to deliver 571 A320-family jets.
Increasing Demand for Single-Aisle Jets
The demand for single-aisle jets is continuously rising, and airlines are eager to acquire more of them. However, both Boeing and Airbus face challenges in meeting this demand due to their existing backlogs, which currently extend beyond a decade at the current production rates.
Howmet Stock Performance
Howmet, a company involved in the aviation industry, saw a rise of 2.4% in its stock price during early trading on Tuesday, reaching $60.25. This positive trend occurred despite the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite experiencing declines of 1.4% and 1.2%, respectively. The market reacted to a higher-than-expected inflation report for January, with the consumer price index rising by 3.1% compared to economists’ predictions of a 2.9% increase.
In conclusion, Boeing’s aim to boost production, Airbus’ manufacturing projections, and the strong demand for single-aisle jets are all significant factors shaping the aviation industry. Additionally, the performance of Howmet’s stock amidst market fluctuations demonstrates investor confidence in the sector’s potential.