On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a broadly down market on another strong US jobs report and growing concerns of more economic and geopolitical turmoil after Donald Trump returns to the White House whether imposition of tariffs or military action to take Greenland and the Panama Canal; Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury warns European governments to prepare for “pronounced” and “very strong” tariffs from Washington as the jet maker promises production next year will hit the stunning pre-covid mark of 862 jets in 2019; how trade wars could complicate globalized commercial and military aircraft production likes whether jetliners or Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighters; whether for France’s new finance minister works to develop a budget that helps neither far left or hard right as Britain bond market becomes reminiscent of the 1970s; America’s out-going ambassador to Japan Rahm Emmanuel says share buybacks by US companies causes a bigger threat than China; Lockheed’s new Astris AI unit to help commercialize the defense giant’s AI technology; and takeaways from Bank of America’s annual defense and aerospace conference that we’ve been proud to be partnered on for the past 17 years.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss defense and aerospace stock performance and newsflow during the holidays, President-elect Trump’s call for NATO governments to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, Airbus delivers 765 jets to customers in 2024 as Boeing delivers 341 planes that was down from 513 in 2023, Financial Times’ report that Palantir, Anduril, SpaceX, and several other defense tech companies were planning a “consortium” to bid for DoD contracts, the Pentagon’s Lot 18 contract for another 145 F-35 Lighting II fighters valued at nearly $12 billion, Italy orders 24 more Eurofighter Typhoon jets to replace earlier model aircraft, Saudi Arabia eyes buying 100 Turkish Kaan fighter jets, China unveils two new combat aircraft plus two radar and command planes, and what to watch in 2025.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss aerospace and defense market performance as the Federal Reserved said it would pare back rate cuts, impact of continuing resolution turmoil fueled by Elon Musk and Donald Trump, Wall Street’s growing perception that Musk not Trump is the incoming president, how Trump’s warning that he wants Europeans to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense and how much of that increased spending will stay in Europe rather than flow to American suppliers, and a look at the events of 2024 that will shape the coming year from Boeing’s continuing challenges, Airbus failure to capitalize on its American rival’s woes, supply chain, Russia’s threat to Europe even if its war on Ukraine is paused, global trade and travel implications of economic warfare, Britain’s Strategic Defence Review, and predictions for 2025.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss a mixed and bumpy week on Wall Street, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker’s decision to step down in January, Boeing’s decision to invest $1 billion to accelerate 787 Dreamliner production, defense spending implications of Moody’s decision to downgrade France’s credit rating after political turmoil in Paris, report that Donald Trump told Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet that he would cancel the F-35 Lighting II program that the defense giant flatly rejects, and update on the British-Italian-Japanese Global Combat Air Program, eight years after leaving the European Union Britain’s Prime Minister Kier Starmer met with European Council President Antonio Costa to deepen cooperation, and Hensoldt’s capital markets day.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss aerospace and defense stock performance on Wall Street and in Europe, Airbus’ delivery figures and whether 737 Max production remained stalled after a seven-week strike, a federal judge rejected Boeing’s $1 billion plea deal for misleading regulators leading to two deadly 737 crashes, Safran’s capital markets day, the US Air Force decision to leave the fate of the manned fighter element of the service’s Next Generation Air Dominance program to the incoming Trump administration, a week after Elon Musk criticized the F-35 Lightning II fighters Britain’s defense chief Adm. Sir Tony Radakin lauded the “power” of the stealthy jet noting Israel used them and low observable JASSM cruise missiles — fired from more than 100 miles outside Iran’s borders — to devastate the country’s air defenses, India’s interest in more Rafale fighters as Saudi Arabia also eyes the Dassault Aviation jet, and Sweden, Denmark and Ukraine order $2.5 billion in CV90 combat vehicles from BAE Systems.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss another week of gains on Wall Street, but worries mount as Donald Trump pledges to hike tariffs by 25 percent on Canada and Mexico and 10 percent on China, Elon Musk takes aim at the F-35 Lightning II fighter and argues it’s time that drones replace unmanned systems, the prospect of greater change at the Pentagon as the incoming administration taps outsiders with little defense experience for key jobs — like John Phelan, founder of the Rugger Management investment firm — as navy secretary, a Boeing 737 freighter operated by DHL crashed in Lithuania killing one and injured three as senior officials suggest Russia may be behind the incident, Emirates CEO Tim Clark expresses frustration over the five-year delay in the delivery of Boeing’s new 777X, MTU’s new 2025 guidance showing a strong engine aftermarket, takeaways from this year’s Atlantic Future Forum, and a look ahead to Safran’s capital markets day.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s new highs continuing a year’s long winning streak; Boeing job cuts as CEO Kelly Ortberg is quoted saying his staff spends more time arguing than strategizing how to beat Airbus; the US Air Force order for 15 more KC-46 Pegasus tankers that only entered full operational service in October; as the world ponders whether Donald Trump will continue to support Ukraine, Rheinmetall tells investors at its capital markets day that defense spending is on an upswing, Britain makes defense cuts, retiring 31 helicopters, Watchkeeper UAVs, and three Royal Navy ships; British and French authorities launch a bribery probe into Thales, worries that a Chinese cable-laying ship captained by a Russian may have cut a fiber optic undersea capable between Finland and Germany; and AeroVironment’s $4.1 billion of Blue Halo.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s year-long surge that’s showing signs of slowing as worries about the Department of Government Efficiency to trim federal spending by $2 trillion a year hits services companies, incoming administration fills top national security jobs as focus shifts to key Pentagon management and acquisition jobs, allies adjust to the new reality as Taiwan says it will spend more on defense and buy US destroyers and fighter jets it doesn’t need to curry favor with the incoming president, what Friedrich Merz will mean for Germany and Europe as Olaf Scholtz’s “traffic light” coalition collapses, Boeing jet production resumes, activist investor Elliott buys a $5 billion sake in Honeywell and demands the breakup of the nation’s last big conglomerate, air cargo market softens as worries grow that economy will slow, and the number of parked jets waiting for Geared Turbofan updates increases to 729.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss surging US markets Donald Trump’s election for a second term and another Federal Reserve rate cut as economists warn tariff wars would jeopardize a red hot economy; with Republicans in charge of the White House, the Senate and the House, rising hope that defense spending will increase significantly; worried about America’s reliability, Germany is considering killing its debt brake to boost military spending; in a signal of its own, Britain backs the Global Combat Aircraft Program with Italy and Japan even before it concludes its Strategic Defence Review; Boeing machinists return to work ending a seven-week strike as the company considers selling its Jeppesen navigation business; Bombardier, BWXT, Embraer, Hensoldt, Leonardo, Mercury Systems, Palantir, Rheinmetall, Leonardo post results as Rolls and Chemring issue trading statements; and Spirit AeroSystems warns that its future is in doubt.

On this week’s Defense & Aerospace Report Business Roundtable, sponsored by Bell, Dr. Rocket Ron Epstein of Bank of America Securities, Sash Tusa of the independent equity research firm Agency Partners, and Richard Aboulafia of the AeroDynamic advisory consultancy join host Vago Muradian to discuss Wall Street’s bumpy week; investor questions on neck-and-neck US election and former President Trump as consensus winner; machinist union leaders back the latest offer from Boeing as the company raises $23.5 billion; AerCap, Airbus, Crane, and Leonardo DRS report earnings as HII announces $11 billion in new mission support contracts but lower than expected performance in its shipbuilding that combined with a fire at BAE System’s submarine yard at Barrow-in-Furness raises questions about plan to equip Australia with nuclear powered attack submarines; whether difficulties obtaining new subs could drive Australia to become first export customer for Northrop Grumman’s B-21 bomber as US Air Force considers buying more than 100 of the twin-engine jets; Canberra’s $14 billion plan to bolster domestic missile production; and market perceptions of startups like Shield AI.