Cost cuts set to free up cash flow

Article Excerpt

GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. $9.37 (New York symbol GE; Income Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 8.7 billion; Market cap: $81.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 0.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ge.com) now plans to focus on three main businesses: aviation products, electrical power equipment, and renewable power equipment. As part of that strategy, GE will sell its BioPharma business to Danaher Corp. (New York symbol DHR). That business makes lab equipment that pharmaceutical companies use to develop new drugs. GE will use the proceeds of $21.4 billion to pay down its total debt of $107.5 billion (as of March 31, 2019), which is a high 132% of its market cap. Meantime, the company expects to report negative free cash flow (regular cash flow less capital expenditures) of $2 billion in 2019. Free cash flow should improve in 2020, and turn positive in 2021 as the company realizes more savings from its cost-cutting plan. GE is still a hold. hold…