GE’s big shift is paying off

Article Excerpt

GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $28 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.1 billion; Market cap: $282.8 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 2.4; Dividend yield: 3.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) has agreed to sell $157 billion in assets of its GE Capital financing division. So far, it has completed transactions equalling $104 billion. These sales are part of GE’s plan to focus on its industrial businesses, including jet engines, power plant equipment, medical gear and locomotives. Shrinking GE Capital cuts risk After the sales, the financing business will supply less than 10% of GE’s earnings, down from 42% in 2014. The U.S. Federal Reserve considers GE Capital a “systemically important financial institution”; reducing it should let GE avoid the tougher capitalization requirements the Fed imposes on big lenders. GE’s revenue rose from $147.3 billion in 2011 to $147.4 billion in 2012, but it fell to $146.0 billion in 2013. Revenue then rebounded to $148.6…