Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Boosts Stock Holdings in General Electric (NYSE:GE)

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its stake in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE - Free Report) by 16.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 631,707 shares of the conglomerate's stock after purchasing an additional 88,961 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned 0.06% of General Electric worth $105,362,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of GE. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd bought a new position in shares of General Electric during the third quarter valued at approximately $618,000. Glenmede Trust Co. NA increased its stake in General Electric by 1.1% in the third quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 93,751 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $17,680,000 after purchasing an additional 1,016 shares during the period. Vinva Investment Management Ltd lifted its position in shares of General Electric by 218.2% during the third quarter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd now owns 20,366 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $3,775,000 after purchasing an additional 13,965 shares during the last quarter. CWS Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric during the third quarter valued at $237,000. Finally, Circle Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in General Electric in the 3rd quarter worth about $226,000. 74.77% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

General Electric Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GE traded up $3.14 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $203.29. 1,169,171 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,481,182. General Electric has a 12-month low of $133.99 and a 12-month high of $214.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.09, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The stock has a market cap of $218.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.87, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.19. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $201.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $186.85.

General Electric (NYSE:GE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.32 earnings per share (EPS) 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%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that General Electric will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Electric Increases Dividend

The company 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 $0.36 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.71%. This is an increase from General Electric's previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. General Electric's dividend payout ratio is 24.04%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on General Electric from $200.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, January 27th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on shares of General Electric from $235.00 to $228.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 2nd. 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target 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. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $200.00 price objective on shares of General Electric in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, General Electric has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $211.31.

General Electric Company 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.