The Glorious Virtue of Being Boring
Let’s be frank. In the world of multi billion pound government defence contracts, excitement is the last thing you want. You want predictability. You want the corporate equivalent of a beige Volvo. Governments, you see, don’t appreciate surprises when they’re waiting on a new fleet of fighter jets. They need suppliers who can deliver on time, every time, without the drama of picket lines and production halts.
This is where Boeing’s current troubles create a fascinating dynamic. While they are busy trying to placate a skilled, and frankly irreplaceable, workforce, their competitors are quietly getting on with the job. This creates what I like to call a ‘stability premium’. Investors may start to favour companies that have mastered the rather dull art of keeping their employees happy and their production lines humming. After all, a signed contract is only worth the paper it’s written on if you can actually build the thing.