GE as a corporation

The New York Times has published an article about GE and Immelt's CEO-ship:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/22/busin ... gewanted=1
(You probably have to register with the Times to get access, but this seems to be harmless.)

It's a business-pages article. GE is big and profitable, but in today's economy nobody's job is safe, not even Immelt's. For someone interested in locomotives, the most interesting thing about the article is how LITTLE it says about the locomotive business: two mentions in a three-page article. Basically, locomotives are part of the heavy industrial capital goods section of GE's business that is currently doing very well. Stock market analysts like that: such products have high profit margins, and tend to produce lucrative long-term maintenance contracts.

Quite ironic that someone with the name of Sprague would call for the breakup of GE; go WAY back in their corporate history and see what names come up. They will ride this out, I'm sure.

from a financial stand point, GE is a victim of its own success. Given their above than expectation earning quarter after quarter, how do you improve on earning perfection?

analyst only care about stock prices, not long term welfare of the company. althoug GE stock has been lagging. if GE transportation does ever lag in sales and profit, it would be sold in a blink of the eye.

GE's two biggest problems for me:

* They suck up and ruin lots of good companies.
* Everything's made in China.

Two things I despise.

Years ago, GE basically owned the industrial/motor controls market, but they fumbled the coming of the PLC and VFD (though nice, their offerings in both fields are a bit behind what others have). Years ago, everyone had a GE 7700 MCCs in their plants. GE switches. GE motors. etc etc etc. EVERYTHING was either GE or Big W, and GE was the bigger of the two (ok, there was AB, Square-D, Cutler-Hammer. But GE was far bigger).

Now, you don't see their stuff. Most vertical turbine pumps I've seen have US Motors up at top, C-H, Square-D, AB own the MCC market.

GE used to own appliances years ago, too. They fumbled that. I'm guessing they'll fumble jet engines (Rolls is coming on strong now), etc. Oh heck, they're trying to get out of lightbulbs now (It doesn't make enough money!). What's more GE than lightbulbs?

Go read the Pittsburgh Gazette's (? I think it was them) article "Who killed Westinghouse". Look at how GE looks, today, and tell me you don't see a parallel.

I give GE maybe 20 years, tops, before they're done for.

Nasadowsk wrote:GE's two biggest problems for me:

* They suck up and ruin lots of good companies.
* Everything's made in China.

Nasadowsk,
Just curious, anything in your posession made in China?

P Mac
Modeling the SP in Ohio