OREANDA-NEWS. The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) reported first-quarter revenue increased 8 percent to USD 20.5 billion on higher commercial volume (Table 1). Core earnings per share (non-GAAP) increased 14 percent* to USD 1.76 when excluding a benefit of USD 0.19 per share for the 2012 research and development tax credit recorded in the first quarter of 2013. First-quarter 2014 core operating earnings (non-GAAP) increased 12 percent to USD 2.1 billion and core operating margin (non-GAAP) increased to 10.2 percent reflecting continued strong operating performance. GAAP earnings from operations included previously announced non-cash charges totaling USD 334 million (USD 0.29 per share) for retirement plan changes.

Core earnings per share guidance for 2014 increased to between USD 7.15 and USD 7.35, from USD 7.00 to USD 7.20, to reflect the benefit of a tax settlement to be recognized in the second quarter of 2014. GAAP earnings per share guidance for 2014 is reaffirmed at between USD 6.10 to USD 6.30 as the tax settlement benefit was offset by the retirement plan charges. GAAP pension expense guidance for 2014 is now at approximately USD 3.2 billion, up from USD 3.1 billion, to reflect the retirement plan charges. The company reaffirmed its 2014 revenue, operating cash flow and deliveries guidance.

"Disciplined execution across our production and development programs produced strong first quarter results," said Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim McNerney. "We measurably increased revenue, core operating earnings and cash flow, and expanded core operating margins. This financial and operational strength enabled the return of more than USD 3 billion to shareholders in the quarter through share repurchase and an increased dividend, even as we continued to invest in our future."

"Our outlook for the full year remains positive on the strength of demand for our fuel-efficient new commercial airplanes, our solid position in global defense, space and security markets, and our enterprise focus on meeting customer commitments, improving productivity and profitably delivering the growth in our sizable backlog," McNerney said.

Operating cash flow in the quarter was USD 1.1 billion, reflecting commercial airplane production rates, strong core operating performance and timing of receipts and expenditures (Table 2). During the quarter, the company repurchased 19.4 million shares for USD 2.5 billion, leaving USD 8.3 billion remaining under the current repurchase authorization expected to be completed over the next 2-3 years. The company also paid USD 0.5 billion in dividends in the quarter, reflecting an approximately 50 percent increase in dividends per share compared to the same period of the prior year.

Cash and investments in marketable securities totaled USD 12.2 billion at quarter-end (Table 3), down from USD 15.3 billion at the beginning of the year, primarily due to the share repurchases and the pay-down of maturing debt. Debt was USD 8.9 billion, down from USD 9.6 billion at the beginning of the year, primarily due to maturities.

Total company backlog at quarter-end was a USD 440 billion, down slightly from the beginning of the year, and included net orders for the quarter of USD 19 billion.

Boeing Commercial Airplanes first-quarter revenue increased to USD 12.7 billion on higher 787 and 737 deliveries. First-quarter operating margin improved to 11.8 percent reflecting the delivery volume and mix and lower period costs partially offset by higher R&D (Table 4).

During the quarter, the 787 program reached a 10 per month production rate and completed preliminary design review on the 787-10. The company selected the Everett, Washington site as the location for a new composite wing center for the 777X. In April, the 737 program reached a production rate of 42 per month.

Commercial Airplanes booked 235 net orders during the quarter. Backlog remains strong with over 5,100 airplanes valued at USD 374 billion.

Boeing Defense, Space & Security's first-quarter revenue was USD 7.6 billion with an operating margin of 10.2 percent.

Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA) first-quarter revenue declined to USD 3.5 billion, as the first quarter of 2013 included revenue associated with F-15 development milestones and due to fewer P-8 deliveries in the first quarter of 2014. Operating margin was 9.6 percent, reflecting strong performance offset by a previously announced C-17 inventory-related charge. During the quarter, BMA was awarded a contract for 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the U.S. Navy and a contract for 82 Apache Block III helicopters from the U.S. Army.
Network & Space Systems (N&SS) first-quarter revenue was USD 1.9 billion, reflecting lower satellites volume, and operating margin increased to 9.0 percent on strong performance. During the quarter, N&SS completed on-orbit testing of the first Inmarsat-5 satellite.
Global Services & Support (GS&S) first-quarter revenue increased to USD 2.3 billion, reflecting higher volume in maintenance, modifications and upgrades. Operating margin increased to 12.1 percent on improved performance in integrated logistics. During the quarter, GS&S was awarded a contract to provide maintenance training devices for the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

Backlog at Defense, Space & Security was USD 66 billion, of which 35 percent represents orders with international customers.

At quarter-end, Boeing Capital Corporation's (BCC) net portfolio balance was USD 3.5 billion down from USD 3.9 billion at the beginning of the year. BCC's debt-to-equity ratio was 5.0-to-1.
Unallocated items and eliminations increased in the first quarter of 2014 primarily due to previously announced non-cash charges totaling USD 334 million for retirement plan changes. Total pension expense for the first quarter was USD 1,035 million, up from USD 791 million in the same period last year. The company's income tax expense was USD 494 million in the quarter, compared to USD 332 million in the same period of the prior year, as a USD 145 million benefit for the 2012 research and development credit was reflected in the first quarter of 2013.

Boeing's core earnings per share guidance for 2014 increased to between USD 7.15 and USD 7.35, from USD 7.00 to USD 7.20, to reflect the benefit of a tax settlement to be recognized in the second quarter of 2014. GAAP earnings per share guidance for 2014 is reaffirmed at between USD 6.10 and USD 6.30 as the tax settlement benefit was offset by the retirement plan charges. Total GAAP pension expense guidance for 2014 is now at approximately USD 3.2 billion, up from USD 3.1 billion to reflect the retirement plan charges. The pension expense expected to be included in unallocated items and eliminations is approximately USD 1.3 billion, up from USD 1.1 billion.

Boeing Military Aircraft revenue for 2014 is now expected to be approximately USD 14.2 billion, down from USD 15.0 billion, and Global Support & Services revenue is now expected to be approximately USD 8.6 billion, up from USD 7.8 billion, both reflecting a business realignment completed during the quarter.

Boeing's effective tax rate is now expected to be approximately 29 percent in 2014, down from approximately 31 percent, to reflect the benefit of the tax settlement and continues to assume the extension of the research and development tax credit.

Non-GAAP Measures Disclosures

We supplement the reporting of our financial information determined under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) with certain non-GAAP financial information. The non-GAAP financial information presented excludes certain significant items that may not be indicative of, or are unrelated to, results from our ongoing business operations. We believe that these non-GAAP measures provide investors with additional insight into the company's ongoing business performance. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the related GAAP measures, and other companies may define such measures differently. We encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly-filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. The following definitions are provided:

Core Operating Earnings, Core Operating Margin and Core Earnings Per Share
Core operating earnings is defined as GAAP earnings from operations excluding unallocated pension and post-retirement expense. Core operating margin is defined as core operating earnings expressed as a percentage of revenue. Core earnings per share is defined as GAAP diluted earnings per share excluding the net earnings per share impact of unallocated pension and post-retirement expense. Unallocated pension and post-retirement expense represents the portion of pension and other post-retirement costs that are not recognized by business segments for segment reporting purposes. Management uses core operating earnings, core operating margin and core earnings per share for purposes of evaluating and forecasting underlying business performance. Management believes these core earnings measures provide investors additional insights into operational performance as they exclude unallocated pension and post-retirement costs, which primarily represent costs driven by market factors and costs not allocable to government contracts. A reconciliation between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures is provided on page 14.

Increase in Core Earnings Per Share Excluding First Quarter 2013 Benefit for 2012 Research and Development Tax Credit

The company is disclosing the increase in core operating earnings per share in the first quarter of 2014 over the first quarter of 2013 excluding the benefit for the 2012 research and development tax credit recorded in the first quarter of 2013. Management believes it is useful to occasionally exclude certain items that are not reflective of underlying performance and that can distort period to period performance comparisons. Management uses similar measures for purposes of evaluating and forecasting underlying business performance. A reconciliation between the GAAP and non-GAAP measures is provided on page 14.

Operating Cash Flow Before Pension Contributions

Operating cash flow before pension contributions is defined as GAAP operating cash flow less pension contributions. Management believes operating cash flow before pension contributions provides additional insights into underlying business performance. Management uses operating cash flow before pension contributions as a measure to assess both business performance and overall liquidity.

Free Cash Flow

Free cash flow is defined as GAAP operating cash flow less capital expenditures for property, plant and equipment additions. Management believes free cash flow provides investors with an important perspective on the cash available for shareholders, debt repayment, and acquisitions after making the capital investments required to support ongoing business operations and long term value creation. Free cash flow does not represent the residual cash flow available for discretionary expenditures as it excludes certain mandatory expenditures such as repayment of maturing debt. Management uses free cash flow as a measure to assess both business performance and overall liquidity. Table 2 provides a reconciliation between GAAP operating cash flow and free cash flow.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "may," "should," "expects," "intends," "projects," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "targets," "anticipates," and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include statements relating to our future financial condition and operating results, as well as any other statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and assumptions, which may not prove to be accurate. These statements are not guarantees and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Many factors could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from these forward-looking statements. Among these factors are risks related to: (1) general conditions in the economy and our industry, including those due to regulatory changes; (2) our reliance on our commercial airline customers; (3) the overall health of our aircraft production system, planned production rate increases across multiple commercial airline programs, our commercial development and derivative aircraft programs, and our aircraft being subject to stringent performance and reliability standards; (4) changing budget and appropriation levels and acquisition priorities of the U.S. government; (5) our dependence on U.S. government contracts; (6) our reliance on fixed-price contracts; (7) our reliance on cost-type contracts; (8) uncertainties concerning contracts that include in-orbit incentive payments; (9) our dependence on our subcontractors and suppliers, as well as the availability of raw materials, (10) changes in accounting estimates; (11) changes in the competitive landscape in our markets; (12) our non-U.S. operations, including sales to non-U.S. customers; (13) potential adverse developments in new or pending litigation and/or government investigations; (14) customer and aircraft concentration in Boeing Capital's customer financing portfolio; (15) changes in our ability to obtain debt on commercially reasonable terms and at competitive rates in order to fund our operations and contractual commitments; (16) realizing the anticipated benefits of mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures/strategic alliances or divestitures; (17) the adequacy of our insurance coverage to cover significant risk exposures; (18) potential business disruptions, including those related to physical security threats, information technology or cyber-attacks or natural disasters; (19) work stoppages or other labor disruptions; (20) significant changes in discount rates and actual investment return on pension assets; (21) potential environmental liabilities; and (22) threats to the security of our or our customers' information.

Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.