How Commodities Impact Earnings (at TheStreet.com)

As we all know, commodity costs have been on the rise. With the second earnings season of 2008 ("Get in Shape for Earnings Season ") in full swing, let's take a look at how American companies have been affected by the commodity boom. Boeing Boeing BA runs two different divisions: Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) and Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). BCA has developed the new more energy-efficient passenger airplane, 787 Dreamliner. Orders for the Dreamliner have helped Boeing's backlog of new orders surge to record highs. Unfortunately, Boeing has failed to delivery its new product, and continued delays and project mismanagement have led to increased costs. So when will the company reap profits from the fuel-efficient Dreamliner? It might not be until Boeing actually tests Dreamliner in-flight in the fourth quarter of this... [read full story]