General Electric Company, stock ticker GE, is a dividend champion. They have paid their shareholders a dividend since December 1st, 1987. GE sold for $58.12 on September 1st, 2000, paying a 16 cent per share dividend. GE currently sells for $20.92 at a dividend of 17 cents per share, a 3.25% dividend yield! Even though GE's price per share is almost 2 1/2 times less than 12 years ago their dividend has increased 1 penny. I like GE because they are a piece of America's industrial history and were able to weather the Great Recession storm.
General Electric Company is one of the best diversified technology and financial services companies on Earth. Their products and services range from aircraft engines, power generation, water processing, and household appliances to medical imaging, business and consumer financing and industrial products. General Electric serves customers in more than 160 countries.
Effective January 28, 2011, GE held a 49% interest in a media company that includes the NBC Universal businesses. GE's divisions include Energy Infrastructure, Aviation, Healthcare, Transportation, Home & Business Solutions and GE Capital.
Effective January 1, 2011, it reorganized the Technology Infrastructure segment into three segments: Aviation, Healthcare and Transportation. In April 2012, GE Healthcare acquired SeqWright, Inc. In May 2012, GE Healthcare, the healthcare business of GE, acquired Xcellerex, Inc., a supplier of manufacturing technologies for the biopharmaceutical industry. In June 2012, GE Healthcare acquired XPRO.
GE cut their dividend from 31 cents per share to 10 cents per share on June 18th, 2009 due to the financial crisis, however they did not stop paying a dividend to their shareholders. I like companies who do not sell out their shareholders for corporate profits. Yes, their dividend was cut by 21 cents, however it has been increasing over the past four years.
In 2010, GE delivered solid results despite the tough economic climate with earnings of $12.6 billion. Industrial cash flow from operating activities for the year remained strong at over $14.7 billion.
GE traces its beginnings to Thomas A. Edison, who established Edison Electric Light Company in 1878. In 1892, a merger of Edison General Electric Company and Thomson-Houston Electric Company created General Electric Company. GE is the only company listed in the Dow Jones Industrial Index today that was also included in the original index in 1896.
General Electric Current Statistics:
52 week14.02 - 21.00
Average Volume 51.80M
Mkt cap221.49B
P/E16.85
Div/yield$0.17/3.25%
EPS1.24
Shares10.59B
Beta1.58
Inst. own54%
GE has been able to be very resilient while facing alot of economic uncertainty. Last quarter profits totalled $3.11 billion, revenues rose 2% to $36 billion. GE is worth watching on a daily basis since they are a solid company back on the rise again. To that deluxe apartment in the sky! RIP Sherman Hemsley.
GE may be vast in their business endeavors, however they have a foothold in so many different industries. GE's home offices have a credit card division down one hallway, the power plant lighting your house down another, and your home refrigerator down a third. Not only is GE a strong DOW company with a good dividend, but it's been around for a long time. GE isn't going anywhere, and has plenty of room to move forward.
Overall, at around $20.00 per share, you can't go wrong by picking up a few shares at this level. This stock will increase in value over the next few years. Entering into a GE position would provide you with an excellent cost basis for your Roth IRA. Let the dividend compound for your working years then reap the benefits of a smart investing decisions during your retirement years. Feel free to watch the videos below to learn more about GE. Thanks for your time. Have a great day!
GE Stories: Aviation GE Stories: Healthcare
A Look Inside GE Garages
GE Show: A Slice of Life
GE Locomotives: The Science of Efficiency
