RTX
A little war-room diplomacy
Laura Loomer’s Ukraine pivot is the loudest part of this story, but RTX is the part investors should actually zoom in on. While in Kyiv on Thursday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he met with a Raytheon delegation to talk about jointly producing Patriot interceptors in Ukraine.
Why RTX gets a seat at the table
That matters because Patriot is one of those defense products that can turn into a money magnet when the world gets tense. If Ukraine eventually gets a local production line — or even a deeper supply-and-support relationship — RTX could benefit from more sales, more servicing, and more long-term reliance on its systems.
The market already likes the setup
RTX shares were already flying after a strong earnings beat and raised guidance, and Morgan Stanley even bumped its price target to $240 from $220, pointing to a record backlog. In other words: this is not a sleepy defense name right now. It’s the kind of company where geopolitics can act like an extra shot of espresso.
Big picture
Nothing here sounds like a signed, sealed, and delivered deal yet. But even the discussion is a reminder that defense contractors don’t just win when missiles launch — they win when governments start talking about what to buy next.