The New York Times seems to have the best early take on the report:
Aided by Finance Unit, G.E. Earnings Top Forecasts
General Electric, the industrial conglomerate, said on Friday reported fourth-quarter earnings that topped expectations, aided by strong quarter for the finance unit, health care as well as transportationHere's the press release filed as an 8K with the federales. We're still waiting on the 10K.
In its quarterly earnings report, G.E. said net income for the last three months of 2010 rose to $4.5 billion or 42 cents a share from $3 billion or 28 cents in the quarter a year ago. Earnings from continuing operations were $3.9 billion or 36 cents a share compared with $3 billion in the quarter a year ago. The results topped analysts’ forecasts of 32 cents a share, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.
Net income for the year was $11.6 billion, compared with $11 billion in 2009.
Overall, revenue was up 1 percent to $41.4 billion in the fourth quarter. Analysts had estimated revenue of $38.9 billion for the fourth quarter. For the year, revenue was $150.2 billion, compared with $155.3 billion in 2009.
The company “ended 2010 with three consecutive quarters of strong earnings growth,” the chief executive, Jeffrey R. Immelt, said in a statement. “Strong performance at GE Capital was also encouraging.”
Mr. Immelt also said that the company was optimistic about the future, and expected earnings growth to continue in 2011 and 2012.
“G.E. exits 2010 with significant momentum,” Mr. Immelt said.
Estimates for revenue in the first quarter of 2011 are 29 cents a share and $33.7 billion in revenue, according to the Thomson Reuters survey....MORE
Here's the version they filed with Warren Buffet.
(just kidding, BusinessWire is a BRK company. the releases have to be identical)
