Investment Counsel Co. of Nevada Takes Position in General Electric (NYSE:GE)

Investment Counsel Co. of Nevada acquired a new position in shares of General Electric (NYSE:GE - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 5,617 shares of the conglomerate's stock, valued at approximately $937,000. General Electric makes up 2.4% of Investment Counsel Co. of Nevada's holdings, making the stock its 10th largest position.

A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in GE. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC raised its stake in General Electric by 133.3% during the fourth quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC now owns 147 shares of the conglomerate's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Hager Investment Management Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of General Electric in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of General Electric during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. Sugar Maple Asset Management LLC purchased a new position in General Electric in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, CBIZ Investment Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in General Electric during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.77% of the company's stock.

General Electric Stock Performance

NYSE:GE traded up $1.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $183.55. The stock had a trading volume of 2,869,109 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,867,531. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a quick ratio of 0.81 and a current ratio of 1.09. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $197.13 and a 200 day simple moving average of $186.58. General Electric has a twelve month low of $146.78 and a twelve month high of $214.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $197.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.64, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.04.

General Electric (NYSE:GE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 23rd. The conglomerate reported $1.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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, analysts expect that General Electric will post 5.4 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

General Electric Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 25th. Investors of record on Monday, March 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 10th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.78%. This is an increase from General Electric's previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. General Electric's payout ratio is currently 24.04%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on GE shares. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of General Electric in a report on Wednesday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on General Electric from $203.00 to $212.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. Northcoast Research raised shares of General Electric from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $205.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of General Electric from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of General Electric from $235.00 to $227.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $213.33.

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.