Normally, quantum computing is the dominion of tech stocks. But apparently, aerospace giant Boeing (BA) has a hand in this particular cookie jar as well. Boeing’s Q4S mission has changed that, though, and given Boeing a potentially huge new market. Shareholders, though, proved skeptical, and Boeing shares dropped nearly 2% in Thursday afternoon’s trading.
Boeing released word that its Q4S satellite system demonstrated “…high-fidelity entanglement swapping during ground testing on a compact, space-qualified payload.” The fact that Boeing could produce such results on the ground suggests that the system will be able to produce similar results in space, once the satellites get aloft.
Boeing’s team also underwent environmental qualification testing, which sought to prove that the payload can actually withstand launch stresses, as well as conditions in space itself, like the extreme cold. With the system seemingly able to handle space, and handling entanglement swapping, Boeing’s vision of a “global quantum internet” is that much closer to happening.
“No Nerds, No Birds”
Most will likely remember 2025 as the year Boeing took on strikers in St. Louis for a 101-day strike. And most will likely remember 2024 as the year Boeing took on strikers in Washington state for 53 days. Now, 2026 is about to potentially yield yet another strike for Boeing, this time from engineers and technical workers.
Unified under the banner of “No nerds, no birds,” the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in America (SPEEA) is set to begin contract negotiations for the first time in over 10 years. Reports suggest SPEEA members are looking for concessions relating to artificial intelligence, work from home provisions, and “…a return to market-leading compensation.”
Is Boeing a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on BA stock based on 15 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 13.52% rally in its share price over the past year, the average BA price target of $274.14 per share implies 23.88% upside potential.
