Yes, Boeing is at risk of a credit rating downgrade due to a prolonged labor strike and other financial challenges:
- Boeing's first major strike in 16 years has increased costs, delayed production, and increased cash outflows. S&P Global Ratings estimates that the strike will cost Boeing more than $1 billion per month.
- Boeing has a large debt pile of around $60 billion. The company has $4 billion of debt coming due in 2025 and $8 billion coming due in 2026.
- Boeing is under intense scrutiny from U.S. regulators and airline customers after a mid-air incident in January.
- Boeing needs additional funding to meet its day-to-day cash needs and finance debt maturities.
If Boeing's credit rating is downgraded, it would become the largest U.S. corporate borrower to lose its investment-grade rating. This would make much of its debt ineligible for inclusion in investment-grade indexes, forcing investors to sell their bonds.
However, Boeing's equity offering of $17.5 billion may help alleviate downgrade risk. The offering demonstrates management's willingness to access non-debt capital sources to repay debt and fund cash needs.
No comments:
Post a Comment