13 Best Defense Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires

1. The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)

Number of Billionaires: 17

Billionaire Holdings: $4,347,891,119

The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) is a leading aerospace company that manufactures commercial airplanes, space systems, and defense equipment for customers in over 150 countries.

2024 was a grim year for the company, which saw its share price slump by nearly 30%. The year was marred by a door blowout during a flight, a slowdown in the production of airplanes, and a seven-week workers strike. As a result, the company reported a full year loss of $11.8 billion.

The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA)’s challenges remain unabated, with a further 14% year-to-date dip in its share price in 2025. New tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have aggravated the situation for the company as it is likely to see rising costs and a disruption in its supply chain.

However, most analysts are still bullish on the stock as they believe The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) is too big a company to fail and considering its order backlog of $521 billion, the stock is bound to recover once the headwinds are over. In a recent positive development, the company was awarded a $358 million contract to enhance capabilities of the Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7A aircraft.

Wall Street analysts have a consensus Buy rating for the stock, with an impressive average share price upside potential of 32%. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q4 2024, 17 billionaires held a stake in The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) with combined holdings of over $4.34 billion.

Overall, The Boeing Company (NYSE:BA) ranks first among the 13 Best Defense Stocks to Buy According to Billionaires. While we acknowledge the potential of defense companies, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than BA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires 

Disclosure: None. Insider Monkey focuses on uncovering the best investment ideas of hedge funds and insiders. Please subscribe to our free daily e-newsletter to get the latest investment ideas from hedge funds’ investor letters by entering your email address below.