WASHINGTON D.C. (Standard&Poor's) Dec. 16, 2013--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its ratings and outlook on aerospace and defense firm Boeing Co. are not affected by the recent announcement that its board of directors has authorized a $10 billion share-repurchase program and a 50%-per-share increase to the company's dividend. We had expected Boeing to increase its shareholder rewards now that the 787 program has stabilized and it has amassed substantial cash balances (more than $15 billion as of Sept. 30, 2013). The company stated that it plans to buy the stock back over the next two to three years, and the dividend increase will raise the total payment to $2.1 billion a year from $1.4 billion.
