General Electric (NYSE:GE) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE) have earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and fifteen have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $211.31.

A number of brokerages have commented on GE. Northcoast Research began coverage on General Electric in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on General Electric from $235.00 to $228.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on General Electric from $216.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th. UBS Group lifted their price target on General Electric from $215.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on General Electric from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 27th.

General Electric Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GE opened at $199.90 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $214.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.37, a P/E/G ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. General Electric has a 1-year low of $119.88 and a 1-year high of $212.19. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $186.57 and its 200 day moving average is $180.72.

General Electric (NYSE:GE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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, sell-side analysts anticipate that General Electric will post 5.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

General Electric Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This is a positive change from General Electric’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.72%. General Electric’s payout ratio is currently 24.04%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On General Electric

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. bought a new stake in General Electric in the third quarter worth $25,000. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of General Electric by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 147 shares of the conglomerate’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares in the last quarter. O Brien Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of General Electric during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Hager Investment Management Services LLC bought a new position in shares of General Electric during the fourth quarter valued at $27,000. Finally, Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in shares of General Electric during the third quarter valued at $28,000. 74.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About General Electric

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.