GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $21 - New York symbol GE

GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $21 (New York symbol GE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 10.5 billion; Market cap: $220.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.6; Dividend yield: 3.6%; TSINetwork Rating: Above Average; www.ge.com) is benefiting from its recent purchases of companies that supply equipment to oil and natural gas producers. It’s also cutting credit losses at its finance subsidiary.

As a result, GE has raised its quarterly dividend by 11.8%, to $0.19 a share from $0.17. The new annual rate of $0.76 yields 3.6%. This is its fifth dividend hike in the past three years. GE also plans to buy back up to $14.9 billion of its shares by 2015.

GE is a buy.

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