In Paris, Airbus shares surge following a massive share buyback and an upward revision of its guidance

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Airbus is soaring on the Paris Stock Exchange, with gains exceeding six points (+21% over the last three months and around +6.5% so far in 2026), following the launch of a massive €5 billion share buyback programme. The French aerospace giant has also set its medium-term targets, raising its guidance and forecasting a doubling of profits by 2029. “Airbus has announced its medium-term forecasts, which are in line with current market expectations. The positive surprise came from the three-year, €5 billion share buyback programme,” write Deutsche Bank analysts.

In particular, the company has announced that it is targeting an operating profit of between 12 and 13 billion euros in 2029, a significant increase compared with last year’s adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of €7.13 billion and exceeding the target set for 2026 of €7.5 billion. According to the group’s forecasts, the largest share of the profit contribution is expected to come from the civil aviation division , which by 2029 will account for around 10 billion of the estimated total, compared with 5.5 billion last year. Airbus Defence and Space will contribute 1.3 billion, whilst the helicopter-manufacturing subsidiary will add around 1.2 billion. “Airbus, which has set ambitious targets, has met all the criteria we considered necessary to support the share,” explain the experts at JPMorgan.

It is also expected that the commercial aircraft division, the group’s largest, will generate around €10 billion in operating profit in 2029. The company is also optimistic about its delivery forecasts: following a slow start to the year due to supply chain and engine bottlenecks, the group has stepped up deliveries, increasing first-half deliveries by 15 per cent year-on-year. “We have achieved many important milestones in terms of our supply capacity. The markets in which we operate are robust,” said Chief Executive Guillaume Faury, explaining that one of the objectives is to increase market share in the wide-body aircraft sector.

Airbus will produce the A330 at a rate of 5 units per month in 2029 and the A350 at a rate of 12 units in 2028. Production of the A320 family will reach between 70 and 75 units in 2027, whilst the smallest model, the A220, will reach 13 units per month in 2028. Other targets include a cash conversion ratio of approximately 1 over a five-year timeframe. Airbus has, however, clarified that its targets are based on “the absence of further disruptions to global trade or the world economy, air traffic, the supply chain, its internal operations and its ability to deliver products and services”.