Getting cash sooner rather than later made GE a motivated seller this time.
But Comcast's chief financial officer, Michael Angelakis, said in a conference call Wednesday that GE got a good deal as well, adding that GE gets a lot of cash to invest elsewhere.
Among diversified capital goods companies, Eaton had neither the celebrated management of a GE nor a reputation for consistent earnings growth like Illinois Tool Works.
While its revenues may have come in a bit light, GE remains a cash-generating juggernaut.
FORBES: GE's Immelt Says Economy Still 'Uncertain' As Earnings Hit Street Target
But having a partner like GE, with a global salesforce and a huge customer base, is likely to prove a huge boost for the smart grid companies backed by GE.
FORBES: GE Picks First Dozen Smart-Grid Ecomagination Winners
But Jeff Sprague, a Vertical Research Partners analyst, estimates that GE enjoys a 20% to 30% premium over peers.
FORBES: GE: New Focus On Oil And Gas Powered Rising Q4 Profit
Comcast Corporation owns a controlling 51% interest in NBCUniversal, with GE holding a 49% stake.
Among the new gizmos and gadgets showcased by GE were a slew of energy-efficient smart appliances, the GE Energy Smart LED, an advanced small wind turbine, and an Yves Behar-designed home electric vehicle charging dock called the GE WattStation.
Yet about a year ago GE itself did a breakup analysis, says a former staffer.
He has focused on building the Tokyo-based firm into a one-stop shop for leases, loans, commodity funds, insurance and other services not unlike a GE Capital or Citigroup on a small scale.
He has focused on building the Tokyo-based firm into a one-stop shop for leases, loans, commodity funds, insurance and other services -- not unlike a GE Capital or Citigroup on a small scale.
The second thing is that GE has a patent -- and I believe in patents.
WHITEHOUSE: "White House to Main Street" Town Hall: Elyria, OH
Intel, HP, and GE cofounded a smelter incentive program, which pays for smelter audits.
FORBES: Progress Being Made In Eliminating Conflict From Minerals Supply Chains
Of course KPMG will do anything, legally speaking, to keep GE as a client.
FORBES: GE Auditor KPMG: Supporting Their Tax Strategy For 102 Years
Another new line of business: water purification, which GE entered a few years ago with several acquisitions.
Cameco ( CCJ - news - people ), GE created a joint venture called Global Laser Enrichment.
Just last Friday, GE announced a 17% hike in its quarterly dividend, taking it to 14 cents per share.
In 2002, GE innovated a portable, easy-to-use, ultra-low-cost ultrasound scanner that was able to address the unique market needs in China.
GE, a conglomerate that runs one of the world's largest consumer-finance businesses, recently bought Lake, Japan's fifth-largest provider of consumer loans.
Jr. worked for GE for a bit, then joined the family company after World War II, working his way up to president.
Unfortunately, the movement towards open source GE is a slow starter.
Last weekend GE activated a command center in Wilmington, N.
GE, a competitor, is saying that the city has pre-existing competitive bidding rules in place that restrict it from making such a deal as they are envisioning with the Chinese company.
Nearly three years later and after a timely cash infusion from Warren Buffett, GE Capital is a money machine again.
FORBES: Planes, Trains, Pipes And Loans: GE's Diversified Portfolio Delivers
Then it assigned the company a GE mentor, who visits Frontier for two or three days a month to check the progress on various projects.
This practice of providing extra services to GE Capital customers is a longstanding one at GE.
"GE is playing a leadership role in the transformation to smarter transportation solutions and a smarter electrical grid, " said Luis Ramirez, CEO, GE Energy Industrial Solutions.
ENGADGET: GE kicks off EV Experience Tour, promises WattStations for all
At a time when GE shares were going for a small fraction of previous value, Immelt cut the dividend.
应用推荐