Aerospace & Defense: Contract assets & liabilities

Additionally, a favorable impact from accounts receivable collections, including the related impact of factoring as discussed below, and a favorable change in accounts payable and other accrued liabilities driven by timing of payments and an increase in material purchases, partially offset by the net change in contract assets and contract liabilities, primarily at Pratt & Whitney, due to sales in excess of billings, contributed to an increase in net cash flows provided by operating activities in 2024 compared to 2023. Excluding the charges discussed above, higher net income after adjustments for depreciation and amortization, deferred income tax benefit, stock compensation cost, net periodic pension and other postretirement income, and gain on sale of CIS business, net of transaction costs also contributed to an increase in net cash flows provided by operating activities in 2024 compared to 2023, primarily driven by the operating performance of our segments.

The Company enters into various factoring agreements with third-party financial institutions to sell certain of its receivables, primarily related to customer facilitated programs. The activity pursuant to these agreements is generally dependent on underlying delivery volumes within our commercial OEM programs. Factoring activity resulted in a $0.9 billion increase in cash provided by operating activities in 2024, compared to 2023.

Operating Activities

We make both required and discretionary contributions to our pension plans. Required contributions are primarily determined by Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) funding rules, which require us to fully fund our U.S. qualified pension plans over a rolling fifteen-year period as determined annually based on the calculated funded status at the beginning of each year per the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and subsequent amendments. The funding requirements are primarily based on the year’s expected service cost and amortization of other previously unfunded liabilities, which are dependent upon many factors, including returns on invested assets, the level of market interest rates, and actuarial assumptions.

Global pension and PRB cash funding requirements are expected to be approximately $0.3 billion in 2026, which includes benefit payments to be paid directly by the Company. We can contribute cash or RTX shares to our plans at our discretion, subject to applicable regulations. As of December 31, 2025, the total investment by the U.S. qualified pension plans in RTX shares was less than 1% of total plan assets.

Payments for commercial aircraft sales are received in accordance with the customer agreement, which generally includes a deposit upon order and additional payments in accordance with a payment schedule, with the balance being due immediately prior to or at aircraft delivery. Advances and progress billings (contract liabilities) are normal and customary for commercial aircraft contracts and not considered a significant financing component as they are intended to protect us from the other party failing to adequately complete some or all of its obligations under the contract.

Long-term contracts Substantially all contracts at BDS and certain contracts at BGS are long-term contracts with the U.S. government and other customers that generally extend over several years. Products sales under long-term contracts primarily include fighter jets, rotorcraft, cybersecurity products, surveillance suites, advanced weapons, missile defense, military derivative aircraft, satellite systems and modification of commercial passenger aircraft to cargo freighters. Sales of services under long-term contracts primarily include support and maintenance agreements associated with our commercial and defense products and space travel on Commercial Crew.