WHERE ARE THESE ODDSMAKERS WHEN YOU WANT TO PLACE A BET?:

Boeing bounces back against odds (Marilyn Adams, 1/10/07, USA TODAY

After years of ethics scandals and competitive setbacks, aerospace giant Boeing is on a winning streak. Neither its rivals nor its past sins seem to be slowing it down.

Last week, Boeing (BA) announced it booked a record number of commercial airplane orders in 2006, almost certainly surpassing the annual airplane sales of France-based Airbus. In a blow to the USA's national pride, Boeing in 2001 lost its lead in annual sales of commercial aircraft to its European rival.

For five years, as Boeing grappled with the post-9/11 industry downturn and its own disgraces, it looked doubtful it would retake the lead. But last year, the fortunes of the companies reversed.

Behind Boeing's 2006 sales surge: its innovative 787 Dreamliner, the continuing popularity of its workhorse 737, and production and management blunders by Airbus. The good news for Boeing, whose stock price soared 26% in 2006, doesn't stop with its commercial airplane division. This month, years after being caught cheating to win an Air Force contract, Boeing will get another shot at that $20-billion-plus program for aerial refueling tanker jets.

Yeah, what were the odds they'd outperform a socialist competitor?

Posted by Orrin Judd at January 11, 2007 7:49 AM