Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) yesterday (Thursday) announced it would test-fly its 787 Dreamliner later this year but disappointed customers by delaying delivery of the plane until the fourth quarter of 2010.

Wall Street cheered the announcement as Boeing’s stock soared more than 6% in New York trading after the company said it still expects the 787 to be profitable.

The rally came despite news that costs for the first three test planes would be charged-off as having no commercial value, resulting in an estimated pretax charge of $2.5 billion, or $2.21 a share, in the third quarter. Boeing said the charge wouldn’t affect its cash flows.

“This new schedule provides us the time needed to complete the remaining work necessary to put the 787’s game-changing capability in the hands of our customers,” said Boeing Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney.

The 787, already two years behind its original schedule, was scheduled for its

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Boeing released its commercial deliveries and (lack-of) orders information for the six-month period ended June 30, 2009.During the first half of 2009, Boeing delivered 246 aircraft, consisting of 190 737s, 6 747s, 6 767s and 44 777s; for the same period last year, the Company delivered 241 aircraft, consisting of 187 737s, 9 747s, 6 767s and 39 777s. Renton accounted for 77.2% of the deliveries this year versus 77.6% last year; the balance came from Everett.Gross orders this year totaled 85 aircraft, consisting of 60 737s 2 767s, 10 777s and 13 787s; however, if you subtract the cancellation of orders placed in prior periods to arrive at the net orders, that number was one - uno -  eins - as airlines cancelled 3 737s, 1 747, 5 767s 2 777s and 73 787s. During 2008, Boeing averaged 331 net ...

U.S. stocks advanced the most in three weeks, helped by optimism about the retail sector and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's defense of the central bank's role in Bank of America/Merrill (NYSE:BAC) deal.  Stocks got a boost from Bed Bath and Beyond's (NASDAQ:BBBY) improved quarterly earnings and a JC Penney (NYSE:JCP) upgrade.  The S&P 500 index jumped 2.1% and went into positive territory for the year.  Tech-heavy Nasdaq jumped 37 points, or 2.1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average matched S&P and Nasdaq's advance.  Treasury prices went sharply higher after a successful $27 billion 7-year notes auction.  Volume on the NYSE remained light with only 1.2 billion shares exchanging hands and advancing shares outpaced declining issues by a five-to-one margin.  The Vix volatility index dropped to its lowest since September 11, easing 9.3% to 26.36.     

Today's premarket futures suggest a mixed opening on news that Australian airliner Quantas Airways

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Boeing - The Good, the Bad & the Indifferent!The 787 is about to fly!  Boeing (BA) hasn't said exactly when -- and probably won't, in order to prevent an onslaught of onlookers at Everett -- but soon.United Airlines (UAUA) is considering ordering over 200 new aircraft in the near future to rejuvenate its fleet, while International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC for short) plans to add as many as 50 more aircraft to its inventory in the next year or so.Some think this indicates a turnaround for the entire commercial aircraft sector. The Market certainly seems to think so: A snapshot today of the 18-company Zacks Aerospace Index shows that it is up 71.83% from its 52-week low. Not too shabby!The USAF Tanker contract is coming up for bid...all over again. The reactivation of the proposal effort -- which, according ...

Reality Checks In at BoeingApril 10, 2009 was not a "Good Friday" for The Boeing Company (BA), as it culminated a spate of bad news!First, the Company announced that its net orders for the first quarter of '09 totaled a negative 4 shipsets, as previous orders for 32 787s had been cancelled, which more than offset the 28 orders it had received for other models.Then it was learned that Defense Secretary Gates appears to be intent on terminating a number of programs, including the Army's Future Combat Systems program - for which Boeing is the prime contractor - and the Air Force's F-22 Raptor - for which Boeing is an associate contractor.Subsequently, Boeing announced that it will adjust production at its Everett facility, with the 777 declining from 7 aircraft per month to 5, while 747-8 and 767 rates will ...

Boeing: Q1-09 Commercial Orders and DeliveriesThe Boeing Company's (BA) gross orders for Q1-09 totaled 28 aircraft; however after subtracting the 32 aircraft -- all 787s -- that were ordered during prior periods but were canceled during Q1-09, the net order total was a negative 4. For comparison purposes, Boeing averaged net orders of 165.5 aircraft/quarter during 2008. Also, Boeing's rival, Airbus, reported 8 net orders for Q1-09.Boeing delivered 121 aircraft during Q1-09: 91 737NGs, 4 747s, 3 767s and 23 777s; last year, Boeing average 93.75 aircraft per quarter, but that number was stunted by the IAM strike in the fourth quarter. During Q1-08, Boeing delivered 115 aircraft, so its deliveries increased by 6 aircraft this year.Boeing hopes to deliver 480 to 485 aircraft this year versus 375 last year; that's just about equal to the 483 aircraft that Airbus plans to ...

Highlights include The Boeing Company (BA) and Northrop Grumman Corp. (NOC).It seems apocalyptical that President Obama's spending plan -- which is intended to save the country from ruin and despair -- has now being dubbed the “787 budget” by some pundits. That may not sit well with The Boeing Company (BA) and us folks in the Pacific Northwest.First, Boeing encountered humongous problems getting the 787 Dreamliner to fly. Then, the economy nosedives and airlines cancel or, at the very least, defer orders for new airplanes because they don't need them and/or can't get financing. Now, there is word from Washington that several defense contracts for which Boeing is vying (or has already won) may be delayed or terminated.It's just like the weather this year: If you just wait a minute, it'll get worse.It appears that the program to ...

First the Miserable Pacific Northwest Weather...and Now This!The Boeing Company (BA) released its annual orders and deliveries information last Thursday. Net orders (i.e., orders adjusted for current-year cancellations and conversions) for 2008 were 662 shipsets, consisting of 484 737s, 3 747s, 28 767s, 54 777s and 93 787s; during 2007, Boeing recorded net orders of 1,413 shipsets, consisting of 846 737s, 21 747s, 36 767s, 141 777s and 369 787s.Hence, net orders during 2008 were down more-than 53.1% from 2007. Even so, during 2008, Boeing booked 287 more orders than deliveries (2008 deliveries consisted of 290 737s, 14 747s, 10 767s, 61 777s and 0 787s, for a total of 375 shipsets); consequently, its commercial ship-set backlog continued to rise during 2008. But, alas, that does not bring good tidings!Boeing announced Friday that employment at its Commercial Airplanes business unit is expected ...