The market is full of noise, but the facts are more important. The data suggests slowdown is coming. The noise is getting louder as doubts around spending, bonds, inflation and economic slowdown mount. And to cap it all, a fight between Elon Musk and Donald Trump could massively destabilise US Politics.

Boeing is slowly climbing its hill towards recovery. The last few years saw the firm tumble on the back of a host of crises of its own making. It’s coming back together, but the question remains: can it remain relevant without a big capital pool to spend on developing the next generation of aircraft, in the face of new competition?

Questions, questions, everywhere this morning! Bitcoin has staged a spectacular rally since the US election. I am assured - by crypto-shills - this makes it a proper financial asset. Oh, here was me thinking it was money. Nope. It’s an asset. Really? Also, a podcast on why Musk should buy Boeing. And what does the new US defence secretary likely mean for the US military and the future of NATO-CANZUS.

It hurts to admit, but Elon Musk played a blinder during the US election. Just how much more could he deliver to the US economy as part of the Trump administration? Disrupting entrenched US bureaucracies and the military-industrial complex could be transformational. I have a great business idea for him!

Boeing has just raised $21 bln of new capital – to keep the doors open. That is not a great look. It’s a saga of management and corporate failure unmatched in recent history. The consequences for global aviation are immense. I’m waiting to pick over the bones…

Blain’s Morning Porridge 16th October, 2024: Boeing, throwing the dice [...]

Every corporate has its own distinct life-cycle. The Concept and Foundation are stage one. Firms evolve. Bad Management lies at the core of bad companies. Some firms become defined by it. Some firms survive and thrive. Many don’t. Few get second chances.

Discuss in terms of Tesla and Boeing.

Compare and contrast Boeing and Aramco. Boeing – an extraordinary example of corporate failure. In the Middle East, soon to be King, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is using Aramco’s wealth to shake the current regional order.

Boeing desperately needs to get it right. Over the next 20 years, global demand will be around 35,000 new aircraft. Supply is currently a duopoly of Boeing and Airbus. To avoid it becoming an Airbus monopoly (bad for everyone), Boeing’s new management need to completely reset the firm and focus back on fundamentals – which are people rather than numbers driven.

Boeing is my pick as the worst company on the planet. Its’ stock is down 30% this year. It has failed multiple corporate governance challenges, but is also a victim of QE over-easy monetary policy: ultra-low interest rates enabled its cost-accountant management to wreck the company. Can it recover?