There are no safe havens in the stock market. Every stock carries risk. But some less than others. This column features stocks that have shown one or more of the following characteristics: less volatility, better earnings, larger market caps, safe and increasing dividends. In these times of turmoil, our goal is to show readers better opportunities for investing with fewer risks.

October 28, 2011 - General Electric Company (GE-NYSE) operates as a technology, service, and finance company worldwide. Its Energy Infrastructure segment offers wind, gas, and steam turbines and generators; combined-cycle systems; nuclear reactors, fuel, and support services; and motors and control systems, as well as provides water treatment solutions. This segment also provides integrated electrical equipment and systems to distribute, protect, and control energy and equipment; and oil and gas equipment, including surface and subsea drilling and production systems, equipment for floating production platforms, compressors, turbines, turbo expanders, high pressure reactors, industrial power generation, and auxiliary equipment.

The company's Healthcare segment provides medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, disease research, drug discovery, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, as well as remote diagnostic and repair services.

Its Transportation segment provides technology solutions for customers in various industries, including railroad, transit, mining, oil and gas, power generation, and marine.

The company's GE Capital group offers commercial loans and leases, fleet management, financial programs, home loans, credit cards, personal loans, and other financial services.

Its Home and Business Solutions segment provides refrigerators; freezers; electric and gas ranges; cooktops; dishwashers; clothes washers and dryers; microwave ovens; room air conditioners; and residential water systems primarily under the GE Monogram, GE Profile, GE, Hotpoint, and GE Café brand names. The company was founded in 1892 and is based in Fairfield, Connecticut. The original founder: Thomas Edison.

Latest News:
For the September quarter, GE stated adjusted earnings would have risen to 31 cents a share from 28 cents in the year-ago period, with revenue virtually flat at $35.37 billion. Analysts had expected a profit of 31 cents a share, on average, with revenue of $34.84 billion.

GE's industrial segments saw double-digit revenue growth both domestically and internationally in the period, with international revenues up 25%, driven by strong double-digit growth in Brazil, Russia, China, India, Canada, Mexico and the Middle East.

Economic growth was expected to cool before year's end and then pick up again in 2012. Globally, the International Monetary Fund anticipates 2011 GDP growth of 2.96% down from 4.05% last year. For 2012, the group predicts GDP growth of 3.16%.

Corporations continue to talk of growth, but consumers have been pulling back on spending. In GE's Home & Business Solutions segment, which produces refrigerators, freezers and clothes washers, quarterly earnings declined 63% from a year ago on a 1% drop in revenue, hurt by fewer high-end sales and a sharp rise in material costs. In the second quarter, the segment's earnings dropped 26%.

Expectations:
Fourth quarter earnings estimate: 40 cents vs 35 cents last year
For 2011: consensus of 15 analysts: $1.38 compared to $1.12 in 2010
For 2012: consensus of 16 analysts: $1.57
Important Numbers:
- Market Cap: $171.08 billion
- Trailing P/E: 12.3
- Forward P/E: 10.3
- Price to sales ratio: 1.15
- Price to book: 1.4
- Operating margin: 13.59%
- Profit margin: 9.89%
- Return on equity: 11.8%
- Return on assets: 1.72%
- Revenues (last 12 months): $151.17 billion
- Total cash: $137.8 billion
- Total cash per share: $13.03
- Total debt: $466.1 billion
- Total debt/equity: 367%
- Current ratio: 128.36
- Book value per share: $11.77
- Beta: 1.88
- 52 week change: 2.43%
- Shares outstanding: 10.58 billion
- Institutions own: 52.3%
- Dividend: 60 cents
- Yield: 3.7%

Ted Allrich