General Electric: Analysts Pound the Table Like Mad Ahead of Q4

[Stocks-to-Watch]

The bullishness is bubbling over for General Electric (GE).

Analysts haven’t had this many Buy ratings on GE since 2008, Marketwatch said today. The Street expects the conglomerate’ to say its earnings jumped 22% in the fourth quarter when it reports on Friday. The fourth quarter tends to be GE’s strongest for industrial orders, Sterne Agee analyst Ben Elias said in a note, and the company’s energy margins should be able to bounce back from mediocre numbers earlier in the year. The stock has been on a nice run since it upped its dividend late last year, and is up 28% in just the past month.

Numerous analysts have also pointed out that GE’s businesses tend to be late-cycle, meaning they could be poised for strong growth.

Of course, when more and more analysts adhere to the same opinion, it can be a sign that the Street is already overreaching.



Original Article Source by Barrons.com