NEW YORK: GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) today announced its official launch as an independent public company defining the future of flight, following the completion of the GE Vernova spin-off. GE Aerospace will trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker “GE”. Today, April 2, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. ET, GE Aerospace and GE Vernova will ring the opening bell together at the NYSE.
GE Aerospace Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr., said, “With the successful launch of three independent, public companies now complete – today marks a historic final step in the multi-year transformation of GE. I am tremendously proud of our team, their resilience, and their dedication to achieving this defining moment.”
Culp continued, “Building on a century of learning and carrying forth GE’s legacy of innovation, GE Aerospace moves forward with a strong balance sheet and greater focus to invent the future of flight, lift people up, and bring them home safely. With FLIGHT DECK, our proprietary lean operating model, as our foundation, I am confident we will realize our full potential in service of our customers, employees, and shareholders.”
With an installed base of approximately 44,000 commercial engines and approximately 26,000 military and defense engines around the world, GE Aerospace launches as an established global leader in propulsion, services, and systems. The company generated approximately $32 billion in adjusted revenue* in 2023, with 70% generated by services and the strong economics of the engine aftermarket.
At the company’s Investor Day in March, GE Aerospace reaffirmed its 2024 guidance and presented a longer-term financial outlook, including expecting to achieve ~$10 billion of operating profit* in 2028. Additionally, GE Aerospace shared a capital allocation framework to invest in growth and innovation, while also returning approximately 70-75% of available funds to shareholders.
The launch of GE Aerospace represents the completion of GE’s multi-year financial and operational transformation. Over the last several years GE has taken steps to significantly strengthen the business, including more than $100 billion in debt reduction since 2018. Simultaneously, the company-wide implementation and adoption of lean and a relentless pursuit of continuous improvement in service of the customer, enabled a deep and sustainable shift in culture. This stronger foundation enabled the successful creation of three independent companies – GE HealthCare, GE Vernova, and GE Aerospace – each of which are now well-positioned to build upon GE’s history of innovation.
Holders of GE common stock were entitled to receive one share of GE Vernova common stock for every four shares of GE common stock. For United States federal income tax purposes, the distribution has been conducted in a tax-efficient manner for GE shareholders in the United States.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP acted as legal counsel. Evercore, Morgan Stanley, and PJT Partners were the lead financial advisors on the transaction. The company also received legal advice from DLA Piper and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and financial advice from Citibank, The Consello Group, BNP Paribas, and UBS.
GE Aerospace will issue its first quarter 2024 earnings on April 23, 2024 and will host its earnings call at 7:30 a.m.ET, which can be accessed here.
For additional information, please visit GE Aerospace’s “Spin-off Resources” page here.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In this document, we sometimes use information derived from consolidated financial data but not presented in our financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Certain of these data are considered “non-GAAP financial measures” under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rules. These non-GAAP financial measures supplement our GAAP disclosures and should not be considered an alternative to the GAAP measure. The reasons we use these non-GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in our earnings releases and the appendix of the GE Aerospace 2024 Investor Day investor presentation, as applicable.
Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements:
This document contains “forward-looking statements” — that is, statements related to future, not past, events. These forward- looking statements often address GE Aerospace’s expected future business and financial performance and financial condition, and often contain words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “see,” “will,” “would,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “target,” “preliminary,” or “range.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain, and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions. For GE Aerospace, particular areas where risks or uncertainties could cause GE’s actual results to be materially different than those expressed in GE Aerospace’s forward-looking statements include: changes in macroeconomic and market conditions and market volatility, including risk of recession, inflation, geopolitical conflict; supply chain constraints or disruptions, interest rates, the value of securities and other financial assets (including GE Aerospace’s equity interest in GE HealthCare), commodity prices and exchange rates, and the impact of such changes and volatility on GE Aerospace’s business operations, financial results and financial position; GE Aerospace’s capital allocation plans, including the timing and amount of dividends, share repurchases, acquisitions, organic investments, and other priorities; and other factors that are described in the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as such description may be updated or amended in any future reports that GE Aerospace files with the SEC. These or other uncertainties may cause GE Aerospace’s actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in its forward-looking statements. GE Aerospace does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.
