OREANDA-NEWS. GE [NYSE: GE] announced today third-quarter 2014 operating earnings of USD 3.8 billion, with operating earnings per share of USD 0.38, up 6% from the third quarter of 2013. GAAP earnings from continuing operations were USD 3.5 billion, with earnings per share of USD 0.34, up 6% from last year. Revenues were USD 36.2 billion for the quarter, up 1% from the year-ago period.

"GE performed well in the quarter, with industrial segment profit growth of 9% and significant margin expansion," said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. "The environment is volatile, but infrastructure growth opportunities exist, and GE is executing well. This is reflected in healthy order growth and margin expansion. During the quarter we continued to execute on our portfolio strategy, including the successful IPO of Synchrony Financial and announcing the sale of our Appliances business."

Industrial segment profits rose 9% in the third quarter to USD 4.3 billion and industrial segment margins expanded 90 basis points. Industrial segment organic revenue growth was 4%. Orders were up 22% in the quarter, with increases in five of six segments. Growth market orders rose 34% with increases in five of nine growth regions. GE expects industrial organic revenue growth for the year to be at the higher end of the 4-7% range.

GE's backlog of equipment and services at the end of the quarter was a record USD 250 billion, up USD 21 billion over the year-ago period. New technologies drove a 31% increase in equipment orders in the quarter; these included orders for more than 1,000 Tier 4-compliant locomotives, 4 HA gas turbines, and launch orders for the GE9X aircraft engine. Services orders grew 10% in the quarter. As part of GE's strategy to grow its services business, the Company also announced in October the opening of its Predix™ Industrial Internet platform to all users starting in 2015, and that GE Predictivity™ solutions revenues are expected to exceed USD 1 billion in 2014.

During the quarter GE completed the IPO of its North American Retail Finance business, Synchrony Financial, the first step of a planned, staged exit from the business. GE is targeting a complete exit from Synchrony Financial through a split-off transaction in late 2015. In the third quarter GE also agreed to sell its Appliances business to Electrolux for USD 3.3 billion, bringing total announced dispositions to USD 4.7 billion for the year. The sale is expected to generate an approximate after-tax gain of USD 0.05-USD 0.07 per share at closing. Both transactions are subject to customary regulatory and other approvals. GE continues to work through approvals for its acquisition of Alstom's Power and Grid businesses, targeted to close in 2015. GE expects Alstom to be accretive to earnings in 2015, and add USD 0.06-USD 0.09 per share in 2016. Through these transactions, GE is executing on its strategy to achieve 75% of its earnings from its Industrial businesses by 2016.

Simplification and value gap improvements drove GE's strong margin expansion of 90 basis points in the quarter and 50 basis points year-to-date, with six of seven businesses showing positive margin growth in the quarter. GE continues to make good progress with its simplification goals. The Company is on track to meet its goal of USD 1 billion or more in structural cost-out for the year, with USD 674 million of cost-out through the third quarter.

GE Capital continued its strategy to decrease the size of its non-core portfolio. ENI (excluding cash and equivalents) was at USD 365 billion at quarter-end, down USD 6.5 billion from last quarter and down 5% from the year-ago period. GE Capital is on track to close the sale of its GE Money Bank AB (Nordics) consumer finance business in the fourth quarter of 2014. Additionally, GE Capital Aviation Services announced this week an agreement to acquire Milestone Aviation Group, the helicopter lessor, for USD 1.78 billion. The acquisition is in line with GE Capital's strategic plan of growing in core areas aligned with GE's industrial business. General Electric Capital Corporation's (GECC) estimated Tier 1 common ratio (Basel 1) rose 79 basis points from the year-ago period to 12.1%, and net interest margin was strong at 5%. Year-to-date, GECC has returned USD 2.2 billion in dividends to the parent.

Cash from GE operating activities (CFOA) was USD 7.2 billion year-to-date, and the Company is on track to meet its 2014 goal of USD 14-USD 17 billion in CFOA. GE ended the quarter with USD 90 billion of consolidated cash and cash equivalents. The Company has returned USD 8.4 billion to shareowners year-to-date, including USD 6.6 billion of dividends and USD 1.8 billion of stock buyback.

Immelt concluded, "Our total-year framework is intact, and we are executing on our goals. Year-to-date, our industrial segment profit is up 10% and margins are 50 basis points higher. GECC is returning cash to the parent. Capital allocation remains balanced, with both opportunistic M&A and cash returned to shareowners. And this year's portfolio moves have made GE more focused on its strengths in core infrastructure and technology. We have a big backlog, market diversity, strong recurring revenue and a well-established cost-out program. We expect to continue to deliver in a volatile world."