First Command Advisory Services Inc. Grows Stake in General Electric (NYSE:GE)

First Command Advisory Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE) by 10.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,348 shares of the conglomerate’s stock after buying an additional 316 shares during the quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in General Electric were worth $558,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of General Electric in the third quarter worth $25,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC acquired a new stake in General Electric in the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in General Electric in the third quarter worth about $28,000. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of General Electric in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in General Electric in the third quarter worth about $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.77% of the company’s stock.

General Electric Price Performance

Shares of NYSE GE opened at $201.56 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $188.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $181.58. The company has a market cap of $216.34 billion, a PE ratio of 33.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.21. General Electric has a twelve month low of $122.48 and a twelve month high of $212.19.

General Electric (NYSE:GE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.05 by $0.27. General Electric had a return on equity of 22.19% and a net margin of 14.31%. On average, analysts predict that General Electric will post 5.4 EPS for the current year.

General Electric Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This is an increase from General Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.71%. General Electric’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 24.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on GE shares. Northcoast Research began coverage on shares of General Electric in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their target price on General Electric from $235.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Bank of America boosted their price target on shares of General Electric from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Citigroup raised their price objective on General Electric from $216.00 to $235.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of General Electric from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $211.31.

General Electric Profile

General Electric Company, doing business as GE Aerospace, designs and produces commercial and defense aircraft engines, integrated engine components, electric power, and mechanical aircraft systems. It also offers aftermarket services to support its products. The company operates in the United States, Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa.