Airbus Stock (NASDAQ:EADSY) Slips as Raccoons Run Riot in Factory

Of all the things that one might expect to see cause problems for aerospace stock Airbus (EADSY), a horde of raccoons might be at the bottom of the list. But that was exactly what happened to the beleaguered aircraft maker in Canada, and investors pulled back on the share price a bit in response, sending shares down fractionally in Friday afternoon’s trading.

Airbus was already having trouble getting parts together, not to mention keeping up with shipment demand. But the latest wrinkle of a family of raccoons slipping into the factory and taking shelter in half-built airplanes only made matters worse. Five babies and one mother were ultimately found, as the mother climbed a set of landing gear for a jet intended for an airline in Europe. The raccoons in question were removed from the jet—safely, reports noted—and transported to a “safe” location.

Reports noted that the raccoons had chewed wires and left urine in their wake, and the jet itself needed to be “quarantined” while inspecting for damage. This put a further crimp in already-stressed supply lines, which will not sit well with airlines waiting for their aircraft to arrive. It already has a backlog, and reports suggest Airbus’ delivery delays are now up to three years.

Pushing for Middle East Orders

Airbus’ chief rival, Boeing (BA) had a field day in the Middle East recently, landing the biggest order in the company’s history thanks to a bit of help from President Trump. But Airbus has no plans to be left out of that market, and is working to re-establish its presence therein. And Airbus has one key plan to get there: the Paris Air Show.

Coming in mid-June, the Paris Air Show has a tendency to draw aircraft buyers from around the world, particularly the Middle East. And if Airbus can impress at that show, it may well draw some of those orders in as more airlines look to pick up widebody aircraft. One big possible order could come from Riyadh Air, which could pick up as many as 50 A350 jets from Airbus, if all goes as hoped. Normally, when the show hits Paris, Airbus tends to win out, but the destabilizing element of the Qatar Airways order may shake that up this year.

Is Airbus Stock a Good Buy Right Now?

Turning to Wall Street, we take a look at the last five days of trading in EADSY stock, and discover that it has been trending upward. Overall, shares are up 1.7% for the period in question, and generally trending upward, except for one brief loss a few days ago. It subsequently rallied and carried on into the rest of the week.

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