The strike is over, and aerospace company Boeing Co. (BA) is back to work. But what about Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the astronauts who are still stranded on the International Space Station thanks to the performance of the Starliner module? New reports suggest that all may not be well up there in space.
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We have not heard much about the Starliner astronauts, but new images suggest that Williams may not be doing well. A comparison between Williams at launch and Williams today has her looking noticeably gaunt. Dr. Vinay Gupta explained that Williams’ “hollow-cheeked” look is likely due to “…the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods.”
Gupta further explained that a “significant” calorie deficit is likely involved as the human body burns more calories in space. Muscle atrophy and a lack of a balanced diet may also be hurting Williams.
Suppliers Suffering
In other news, Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) is worried about its ability to continue functioning because of the troubles recently seen at its primary customer Boeing. The third quarter earnings report from Spirit called into doubt its ability to “continue as a going concern.” Spirit was formerly a Boeing subsidiary, but back in 2005, Spirit launched as a separate business, supplying Boeing with plane fuselages.
Delays in production at Spirit, along with some growing quality concerns are hitting the company hard. Boeing’s recent move to refuse some products outright has left Spirit with rising inventory levels and carrying costs. While Boeing will be staging a merger with Spirit in mid-2025, which should take care of at least some of this problem, elements within Spirit are starting to express doubt that the company can remain together that long due to dwindling cash reserves.
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 15 Buys, six Holds and two Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 22.06% loss in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $193.62 per share implies 30.05% upside potential.
