There are no safe havens in the stock market. Every stock carries risk. But some less than others. This column features stocks that have shown one or more of the following characteristics: less volatility, better earnings, larger market caps, safe and increasing dividends. In these times of turmoil, our goal is to show readers better opportunities for investing with fewer risks.

April 13, 2012 - The Boeing Company (BA-NYSE), together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, and support of commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and launch systems and services worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Commercial Airplanes, Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA), Network and Space Systems (N&SS), Global Services and Support (GS&S), and Boeing Capital Corporation (BCC).

BMA is in the research, development, production, and modification of manned and unmanned military weapons systems for the global strike, mobility and surveillance, and engagement markets, as well as provides related services.

N&SS is involved in the research, development, production, and modification of products and services to assist its customers in transforming their operations through its network integration, information and cyber applications, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance space exploration and satellites.

GS&S offers operations, maintenance, training, upgrades, and logistics support services for military platforms and operations. BCC facilitates, arranges, structures, and provides financing solutions for its commercial airplanes customers and government customers. Its financing portfolio consists of equipment under operating leases, finance leases, notes and other receivables, assets held for sale or re-lease, and investments. The Boeing Company was founded in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Latest News:
- Qatar Airways said it will expand its service to Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and Detroit once it begins receiving its Boeing Co. 787 type airplanes. Bloomberg reports Qatar ordered 60 Boeing 787s.

- Boeing is developing an Android-based mobile phone that should be ready to launch later this year.

However, it won't be the kind of phone most of us will be upgrading to anytime soon.
Boeing is building it with an eye on the high end of the market, with an emphasis on security and encryption measures. Similar phones can cost as much as $20,000.

Brian Palma, vice president of Boeing's secure infrastructure group, told reporters this week the company is seeking to drive that cost down - he didn't say by how much - but not to the point most consumers can afford.

"We are going to drive down towards a lower price point, but. ... not mass-market price point," Palma said. "We believe that there is significant interest (in the phone) in the defense side as well as the intelligence side and in the commercial world as well."

The company is also eyeing the emergency responder market.

Earnings Expectations:
First Quarter: 92 cents vs 78 cents. Earnings call: April 25.
Second Quarter: $1.07 vs $1.25
Full year 2012: $4.47 vs $5.33
Full year 2013: $5.66

Important Numbers:
- Trailing P/E: 13.7
- Forward P/E: 12.92
- Price to sales ratio: .8
- Price to book: 15.57
- Operating margin: 8.06%
- Profit margin: 5.85%
- Return on equity: 124%
- Return on assets: 4.66%
- Revenues last 12 months: $68.74 billion
- Cash: $11.22 billion
- Cash per share: $15.04
- Total debt: $12.37 billion
- Total debt to equity: 342.88%
- Current ratio: 1.21
- Book value per share: $4.72
- Beta: 1.14
- 52 week change: 1.24%
- Shares outstanding: 745.72 million
- Float: 671.39 million
- Held by institutions: 7.8%
- Dividend: $1.76
- Yield: 2.5%
- Payout ratio: 31%
- Ex-dividend: early May
- Dividend payout: June

- Company Web site: www.boeing.com

 Ted Allrich