General Electric Stock Split: What's Next?

is general electric stock going to split

General Electric (GE) has a long history as a massive American conglomerate, founded in 1892 by famed inventor Thomas Edison. In 2021, GE announced plans to break up into three publicly traded companies, marking the end of its era as an industrial conglomerate. The company has since undergone a three-way split, with GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, and GE Healthcare now trading under separate stock tickers. This move is part of a broader turnaround plan led by CEO Larry Culp, who took over in 2018 when the company was struggling with weak profits and significant debt. The stock split has resulted in a corresponding division of shares for existing shareholders, with GE Aerospace retaining the GE ticker and GE Vernova trading under GEV..

Characteristics Values
Date of stock split 2nd April 2024
Number of companies split into 3
Names of the companies GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, GE Healthcare
Ticker symbols GEV, GE, GEHC
Stock split type Forward stock split
Ratio of forward stock split 4-for-1
Reason for stock split Stock price too high

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GE's three-way split into GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, and GE Healthcare

On April 2, 2024, General Electric (GE) completed its breakup into three publicly traded companies: GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, and GE Healthcare. This marked the end of the 132-year-old conglomerate that was once a global symbol of American business power.

GE's three-way split was the culmination of CEO Larry Culp's efforts to turn around a company that was struggling with weak profits, a mountain of debt, and bad investments. When Culp took over as the first outsider to run GE in 2018, the company had lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and its stock had fallen nearly 80% from its highs in 2000. Culp focused on paying off debt, improving cash flows, and streamlining operations, which ushered in a recovery for the company.

GE Vernova, the energy unit of GE, made its trading debut under the ticker symbol "GEV" or "GEV.N". It helps produce 30% of the world's electricity and has a significant role in the energy transition. On its first day of trading, GE Vernova's shares fell 1.4% to $140, but the stock rose about 5% by mid-afternoon.

GE Aerospace, the aerospace business of GE, retained the "GE" ticker symbol. It focuses on aviation technology, such as airplane engines, and is the largest division of the former conglomerate in terms of revenue. GE Aerospace reported revenue of over $26 billion in 2022 and is expected to have a bright future in the aviation industry. On its first day of trading, GE Aerospace's shares finished 2.4% lower at $136.47, but they were up about 2% by mid-afternoon.

GE Healthcare, which was spun off in 2023, trades under the ticker symbol "GEHC". It has gained about 57% in value since it started trading and is up about 15.5% in 2024.

The spinoff of each individual company from GE resulted in corresponding stock splits for existing shareholders. As a result of the three-way split, GE's remaining divisions were renamed, with GE Aerospace retaining the "GE" ticker symbol and GE Vernova adopting the "GEV" ticker symbol.

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GE's 2021 announcement to break up into three publicly traded companies

In 2021, General Electric Co. (GE), a Boston-based industrial conglomerate, announced its plan to break up into three publicly traded companies. This marked the end of the 129-year-old conglomerate that was once the most valuable U.S. corporation and a global symbol of American business power.

GE's decision to split into three independent companies was driven by a desire to simplify its business, reduce debt, and improve its share price. The company had been facing multiple crises, including issues with its financial services division and power business. By breaking into three separate entities, each company could pursue its growth strategies, attract distinct shareholder bases, and create stronger, more valuable businesses.

The three companies that emerged from the split are GE HealthCare, GE Vernova, and GE Aerospace. GE HealthCare, which specialises in medical technology and diagnostics, became a separate publicly traded company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol GEHC in January 2023. GE Vernova, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focuses on energy production, while GE Aerospace, retaining the GE symbol, continues the company's aerospace business, making engines and components for Boeing and Airbus jets.

The breakup of GE was completed in early 2024, with GE Aerospace shares rising about 2% and Vernova rising about 5% in their debut on the New York Stock Exchange. This marked the end of GE's era as an industrial conglomerate and its more than 50-year streak of stock splits.

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GE's 2023 stock split involving the spinoff of GE HealthCare

General Electric (GE) has a long history as one of the largest American conglomerates. However, in 2021, GE announced plans to break up into three publicly traded companies, bringing an end to its over 50-year streak of stock splits. The first of these stock splits occurred in January 2023 and involved the spinoff of GE HealthCare, which began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker symbol "GEHC". GE HealthCare Technologies Inc. is a global leader in Precision Care. GE retained approximately 19.9% of GE HealthCare's common stock, with H. Lawrence Culp Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE, serving as the non-executive chairman of GE HealthCare.

The second stock split will occur when GE Vernova, a global leader in electrification and decarbonization, is spun off from the rest of GE. GE Vernova made its debut under the ticker symbol GEV, while GE's remaining divisions will be renamed GE Aerospace, retaining the original GE symbol. GE Aerospace is expected to have a market value of over $100 billion after the spinoff, benefiting from increased demand for aftermarket services due to delays in jet deliveries by Boeing and Airbus.

Details about the stock split for GE Vernova have not yet been disclosed. However, GE Aerospace has reported revenues of over $26 billion in 2022 and is projected to have a bright future in the aviation industry. The breakup of GE into three separate companies completes CEO Larry Culp's efforts to turn around the company, which was struggling with weak profits, debt, and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its jet engine business.

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GE Vernova's stock split details are yet to be unveiled

General Electric (GE) has a long history as one of the largest American conglomerates. However, in 2021, GE announced plans to break up into three publicly traded companies, bringing an end to its era as an industrial conglomerate. The company has since completed its transition of splitting into three separate publicly traded companies: GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, and GE Healthcare.

GE Healthcare was the first to be spun off in January 2023, with GE retaining 14% of the new entity (subsequently reduced to 10.24%). Shareholders of GE common stock received one share of GE Healthcare for every three shares of GE. Following this, GE Vernova made its trading debut under the ticker symbol "GEV", with GE Aerospace retaining the "GE" ticker. Stockholders of the former GE as of March 19 were given one share of GE Vernova for every four shares they held in its parent company.

The breakup of GE into three separate companies marks the end of the 132-year-old conglomerate that was once the most valuable U.S. corporation and a global symbol of American business power. The decision to split was made to streamline the company and bring it back to its pinnacle status, as it had been struggling with weak profits and a mountain of debt. The company's stock had fallen nearly 80% from its highs in 2000, and it had lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

While the stock split for GE Vernova has already occurred, with existing shareholders receiving shares of GE Vernova, the details of the stock split have not yet been unveiled. Similarly, details about the stock split tied to GE Aerospace are also not available at this time. It is important to note that GE Vernova and GE Aerospace made their joint official debut on April 2, 2024, and the stock split details may have been disclosed since then.

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GE's reverse stock split to boost share price and comply with stock exchange rules

In April 2024, General Electric (GE) completed its breakup into three companies, bringing an end to the 132-year-old conglomerate. The company's aerospace and energy businesses began trading on the New York Stock Exchange as separate entities, GE Aerospace and GE Vernova, respectively, more than a year after GE spun off its healthcare business, GE Healthcare, in January 2023.

GE's stock had fallen nearly 80% from its highs in 2000, and the company had lost its spot in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In 2021, GE announced plans to break up into three publicly traded companies. The most recent GE stock split, in January 2023, involved the spinoff of GE Healthcare. An additional stock split will occur when GE Vernova is spun off from the rest of GE, resulting in corresponding stock splits for existing shareholders.

A reverse stock split is undertaken when a company views its stock price as too low. In this scenario, the company lowers the number of outstanding shares but lifts the share price. A reverse stock split can also help a company comply with stock exchange rules. For example, a company may need to conduct a reverse stock split to reach the minimum bid price that a stock exchange requires. In the case of GE, the company explained that the purpose of the reverse stock split was to reduce the number of outstanding shares to levels better aligned with companies of its size and scope, reflecting the GE of the future.

GE's reverse stock split was likely undertaken to boost the share price and comply with stock exchange rules. By reducing the number of outstanding shares, GE was able to increase the value of each remaining share, making the company more attractive to investors. Additionally, as GE's stock had fallen to low levels, the reverse stock split helped the company avoid the risk of delisting from major exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq, which require a minimum share price to be maintained.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, General Electric completed a three-way stock split in April 2024, breaking up into three publicly traded companies: GE Vernova, GE Aerospace, and GE Healthcare.

GE Vernova traded under the ticker symbol "GEV", GE Aerospace retained the "GE" ticker, and GE Healthcare traded under "GEHC".

General Electric's decision to split its stock was part of a restructuring process aimed at streamlining the company and improving its financial performance. The company believed it was under-owned by investors across its categories, including healthcare, aerospace, and energy. The stock split was also intended to make the company more manageable and facilitate a turnaround.

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