And boy, oh boy, did Boeing ever cash in last month. On Dec. 29, Boeing won each of the two biggest Pentagon contracts awarded. For $4.2 billion, Boeing was tasked with providing "E-4B contractor logistic service" to the U.S. Air Force in fiscal 2026 (which ends Sept. 30, 2026).

President Donald Trump issued a stark threat to defense contracting companies on Wednesday, saying he would seek to limit stock buybacks and executive salaries unless they improve their delivery of weapons systems to the US military hours before saying he’d decided to substantially increase the defense budget.

On January 7, the White House issued an executive order titled “Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting,” directing changes to how major defense contractors are overseen, with the stated goal of accelerating production and ensuring timely delivery of military equipment.

President Trump on Wednesday said he “will not permit” defense companies to issue dividends or buy back their own stock until they invest more in military equipment production and address several