Raytheon Boosts Forecasts as Sales Rise Across All Businesses

(Bloomberg) -- Raytheon Co. raised its 2018 outlook as the defense contractor said international orders and work on classified programs helped it generate higher sales in the third quarter.

• Earnings from continuing operations will be $10.01 to $10.11 a share this year, up from a previous forecast of $9.77 to $9.97, the company said Thursday in a statement. That’s above the $9.96 average of analysts’ estimates. Sales will be $27 billion to $27.3 billion.

Key Insights

• The missile-maker booked $1.3 billion in the quarter on a sale of its Patriot defense system to Poland, and the company anticipates an order next year from Sweden, Chief Financial Officer Toby O’Brien said in a telephone interview. “Things continue to progress well from an international point of view.’’
• O’Brien deferred questions on Saudi Arabia until a conference call at 9 a.m. New York time. Defense contractors have been in the spotlight after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi upended relations with the desert kingdom and threatened international arms sales.

Market Reaction

• The shares rose 2.8 percent in New York before regular trading. Raytheon fell 3.1 percent this year through Wednesday, trailing the 2.1 percent gain in a Standard & Poor’s index of aerospace and defense companies.
• Raytheon will try to buck the trend among defense contractors, which have endured steep stock declines this week despite generally good results. Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. each fell on the day they reported earnings.

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• Earnings rose to $2.25 a share in the third quarter, Raytheon said, topping the $1.97 average of analysts’ estimates. Sales increased to $6.8 billion as all divisions registered revenue gains.
• Next year is shaping up well for the Waltham, Massachusetts-based company. While Raytheon hasn’t given a full forecast for 2019, in a preliminary outlook on Thursday it said net sales will rise 6 to 8 percent.
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To contact the reporter on this story: Richard Clough in New York at rclough9@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Case at bcase4@bloomberg.net, Cecile Daurat

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