Boeing Agrees To Reacquire Spirit AeroSytems for $4.7B

Boeing (BA) announced a long-awaited deal Monday to reacquire parts supplier Spirit AeroSystems (SPR) as the troubled plane manufacturer looks to strengthen control of its supply chain.

Boeing will reacquire the company in an all-stock deal valuing Spirit at $37.25 per share, or $4.7 billion, with Spirit shareholders receiving between 0.18 and 0.25 Boeing shares for each share of Spirit they own, depending on Boeing’s stock price around the time the deal closes.

Boeing Strengthens Control Over Its Supply Chain

Spirit was previously a Boeing subsidiary before it was spun off to operate as a standalone company in 2005. The company, which manufactures parts including fuselages for Boeing’s 737 family of planes, has drawn scrutiny since a January incident in which a door plug detached from a Boeing plane in midair.

The door plug incident sparked investigations from regulators and law enforcement, and also led to changes at the executive level for Boeing, with CEO David Calhoun set to step down before the year is over. Boeing’s safety practices have also been scrutinized since a pair of 737 Max planes crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing over 300 crew and passengers, with Calhoun facing questions from lawmakers over Boeing’s policies last month.

The deal to reacquire Spirit hit some snags since it was first reported in March, as Spirit has taken on a number of clients since the 2005 separation from Boeing, including Airbus, Boeing’s top competitor.

Airbus and Spirit have also reached an agreement for Airbus to buy the parts of Spirit’s business that make parts for Airbus planes, with the full transaction expected to close by the middle of next year, the companies said Monday.

DOJ Reportedly Set to Charge Boeing Over Fatal 737 Max Crashes

The Department of Justice is also reportedly preparing to charge Boeing with fraud over the 2018 and 2019 crashes. Regulators and law enforcement have been investigating whether Boeing violated a settlement it reached with the U.S. government after the crashes that required certain safety standards to avoid prosecution.

The Justice Department’s plans would likely include presenting its findings to Boeing and asking whether the company wants to craft a guilty plea or go to trial, Reuters reported Monday.

Spirit shares were up 4.7% to $34.41 in pre-market trading Monday as of 7:50 a.m. ET following the announcement of Boeing’s deal to buy the company, while Boeing shares were little changed.