Pentagon turns to Boeing and Lockheed to triple production of critical missiles

Pentagon turns to Boeing and Lockheed to triple production of critical missiles
Pentagon turns to Boeing and Lockheed to triple production of critical missiles

Lockheed Martin Corp. Stocks rose on Wednesday after announcing a major defense production framework with the US Department of Defense.

The Pentagon has outlined a long-term plan to increase supply chain capacity for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles.

The multi-year framework highlights the growing demand for defense technologies amid evolving geopolitical risks.

The department said it reached a “historic framework agreement” with Boeing Company and Lockheed Martin will triple production capacity for seekers used in the PAC-3 missile segment upgrade (MSE).

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The seven-year agreement with Boeing, identified as a key PAC-3 supplier, directly supports a recently announced separate agreement with Lockheed Martin to triple production of the total PAC-3 MSE round.

In the statement, the Department links the deal to President Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s “Freedom Arsenal” push, saying the plan aims to accelerate the delivery of critical capabilities and create thousands of jobs across the defense industrial base.

The broader market is trading higher today, with the S&P 500 up 1.12% and the Nasdaq up 1.69%. Industrials are gaining 2.05% with positive market breadth (9 sectors advancing, advance/decline ratio 4.5), and LMT is rising in the same direction during regular trading.

LMT is trading 3.2% below its 20-day SMA and 10.5% above its 100-day SMA, showing a short-term cooling within a still constructive long-term trend. Shares are up 37.45% over the last 12 months and are positioned closer to its 52-week high ($692.00) than its 52-week low ($410.11).

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The RSI is at 38.70, keeping momentum in neutral territory but closer to the “washed” end of the range than overbought. The MACD is -7.4359 against a signal line of -1.6172, a bearish setup that suggests that downward pressure is still present even after the long run.

With the RSI below 50 and the MACD bearish, indicators point to mixed momentum (neutral to bearish) rather than a clear trend continuation signal.

  • Key resistance: $646.50

  • Key support: $595.00

Looking further ahead, the next big catalyst for the stock comes with the (confirmed) earnings report on April 23, 2026.

  • EPS Estimation: $6.74 (down from $7.28 year-on-year)

  • Income estimate: $18.33 billion (vs. $17.96 billion year-on-year)

  • Valuation: P/E of 28.1x (indicates premium valuation relative to peers)

See also: Fast Company calls it a ‘groundbreaking step for the creator economy’ — investors can still get in at $0.91 per share

Analyst consensus and recent actions: The stock has a Hold rating with an average price target of $592.38. Recent analyst moves include:

  • Wells Fargo: Started with equal weight (goal $650.00) (April 1)

  • Susquehanna: Positive (increases target to $740.00) (March 18)

  • citi group: Neutral (increases target to $673.00) (February 5)

  • iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF (BATS:ITA): 5.18% Weight

  • Global X Defense Technology ETF (NYSE:SHLD): 8.86% Peso

  • Invesco Aerospace and Defense ETF (NYSE:PPA): 9.06% Peso

Meaning: Because LMT has such a large weight in these funds, any significant inflows or outflows from these ETFs will likely force automatic buying or selling of shares.

Read next: No wonder Jeff Bezos owns over $250 million in art – this alternative asset has outperformed the S&P 500 since 1995, delivering an average annual return of 11.4%. This is how everyday investors are getting started.

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This article Pentagon turns to Boeing and Lockheed to triple production of critical missiles originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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