Is GE Stock Still a Buy After Big Earnings Beat?
GE stock is higher Tuesday after the industrial giant's beat-and-raise quarter, but what do analysts think? We take a closer look here.


GE Aerospace (GE) disclosed upbeat second-quarter earnings ahead of Tuesday's open, sending GE stock soaring up the price charts. The industrial giant also raised its full-year profit and free cash flow forecast and Wall Street has been quick to chime in.
In the three months ended June 30, GE's revenue increased 4% year-over-year to $9.1 billion, driven in part by 7% growth in its commercial engines & services segment to $6.1 billion. Its earnings per share (EPS) was up 62% over the year-ago period to $1.20.
"The GE Aerospace team delivered another strong quarter marked by double-digit increases across orders, operating profit, and free cash flow," GE Aerospace CEO Larry Culp said in a statement.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
The results topped analysts' expectations. Wall Street was anticipating revenue of $8.5 billion and earnings of 98 cents per share, according to Yahoo Finance.
"Given our performance year-to-date and momentum across our businesses we are raising our full-year profit and free cash flow guidance," Culp said.
The company now expects earnings per share in the range of $3.95 to $4.20, up from its previous guidance of $3.80 to $4.05. Free cash flow is now forecast to arrive between $5.3 billion to $5.6 billion, up from the prior outlook of more than $5 billion.
Is GE stock a buy, sell or hold?
The industrial stock has turned in a strong performance on the price charts this year, up more than 70% at last check. The bulk of this upside came amid optimism for the company's spinoff plans, which were completed in April.
But Wall Street remains bullish on GE stock. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the average analyst target price for GE Aerospace is $185.67, representing implied upside of 6% to current levels. Additionally, the consensus recommendation is a Strong Buy – making it one of analysts' top-rated S&P 500 stocks.
Financial services firm CFRA Research is one of the more bullish outfits on GE stock with a Buy rating and a new price target of $190 (up from $181) following the earnings release.
CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino is encouraged by the momentum seen in the company's commercial engines & services segment "as orders for services and equipment both grew 30% on the heels of robust spare parts demand."
He adds that "margins are benefiting from higher services volume, pricing, and mix," and sees "the upwardly revised 2024 revenue, profit, and free cash flow guidance, which we attribute to commercial equipment strength, as improving orders point to better prospects ahead."
CFRA's $190 price target represents implied upside of nearly 9% to current levels.
Related Content
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Joey Solitro is a freelance financial journalist at Kiplinger with more than a decade of experience. A longtime equity analyst, Joey has covered a range of industries for media outlets including The Motley Fool, Seeking Alpha, Market Realist, and TipRanks. Joey holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.
-
What Wall Street's CEOs Are Saying About Trump's Tariffs
We're in the thick of earnings season and corporate America has plenty to say about the Trump administration's trade policy.
By Karee Venema
-
The Role of the U.S. Dollar in Retirement: Is It Secure?
Protect your retirement from de-dollarization, because “capital always goes where it is treated best."
By Adam Shell
-
What Wall Street's CEOs Are Saying About Trump's Tariffs
We're in the thick of earnings season and corporate America has plenty to say about the Trump administration's trade policy.
By Karee Venema
-
To Stay on Track for Retirement, Consider Doing This
Writing down your retirement and income plan in an investment policy statement can help you resist letting a bear market upend your retirement.
By Matt Green, Investment Adviser Representative
-
How to Make Changing Interest Rates Work for Your Retirement
Higher (or lower) rates can be painful in some ways and helpful in others. The key is being prepared to take advantage of the situation.
By Phil Cooper
-
When to Sell Your Stock
Knowing when to sell a stock is a major decision investors must make. While there's no one correct answer, we look at some best practices here.
By Charles Lewis Sizemore, CFA
-
Within Five Years of Retirement? Five Things to Do Now
If you're retiring in the next five years, your to-do list should contain some financial planning and, according to current retirees, a few life goals, too.
By Evan T. Beach, CFP®, AWMA®
-
The Home Stretch: Seven Essential Steps for Pre-Retirees
The decade before retirement is the home stretch in the race to quit work — but there are crucial financial decisions to make before you reach the finish line.
By Mike Dullaghan, AIF®
-
Stock Market Today: Great Power Affairs Mesmerize Markets
The U.S. and China are at least talking about talking about tariffs, and investors, traders and speculators are showing a little less fear.
By David Dittman
-
Three Options for Retirees With Concentrated Stock Positions
If a significant chunk of your portfolio is tied up in a single stock, you'll need to make sure it won't disrupt your retirement and legacy goals. Here's how.
By Evan T. Beach, CFP®, AWMA®