Final Results

General Electric Company 14 March 2002 The following announcement was released by the company on 17 January 2002 GE Reports Record Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results; 2001 Earnings Grow 11% To $14.1 Billion; Cash from Operating Activities Grows 12% to $17.2 Billion Fairfield, Conn., January 17, 2002 -- GE achieved record earnings and cash generation in 2001, the Company announced today, with 11% increases in earnings and earnings per share (EPS) and 12% growth in cash flow from operating activities. '2001 was an especially challenging year,' said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. 'Despite a global recession and the September 11 terrorist attacks, we delivered double-digit earnings growth. This is a tribute to our great global team and the strength of the GE business model.' Highlights of preliminary 2001 results include: EPS rose 11% to $1.41 from last year's $1.27, and earnings grew to a record $14.1 billion. After the first quarter 2001 accounting changes required by FASB, EPS was $1.37, up 8% from last year, and earnings were $13.7 billion, up 7%. Cash generated in 2001 from GE's operating activities was a record $17.2 billion, up 12% from last year's $15.4 billion; excluding progress payments, growth was 13% to $13.8 billion. Revenues of $125.9 billion increased 4% on a comparable basis over 2000. Reported revenues, down 3%, reflected the effects in GE Capital Services of previously announced strategic repositioning activities. Industrial revenues increased 6% in 2001, principally on the strength of GE's long-cycle businesses, which grew revenues 20% to $40.7 billion. Operating margin for 2001 was a record 19.6% of sales, up from last year's comparable 18.9%. The margin expansion reflects the increase in benefits from GE's digitization initiatives and growth in product services. Full-year pre-tax savings from digitization totaled $1.6 billion, and revenues from sales of high-margin product services grew 13% over last year to $18.8 billion. GE Capital Services (GECS) earnings grew 8% in 2001, to $5.586 billion from last year's $5.192 billion. GECS earnings growth was broad-based, with double-digit growth in the Consumer Services, Mid-market Financing and Equipment Management segments more than offsetting Sept. 11-related insurance losses of $400 million. GECS grew assets by $54 billion, or 15%, to $425 billion from last year's $371 billion. Reported revenues declined 12% to $58.4 billion, reflecting fourth quarter 2000 strategic repositioning activities including exiting Wards and Auto Financial Services and contracting IT Solutions, and restructuring insurance policies obtained in certain Japanese acquisitions. Excluding these effects, GECS revenues would have increased 2%. Fourth quarter earnings grew 10% over fourth quarter 2000 to $3.933 billion, and EPS was $.39, up 8% from $.36. Both were records for the quarter. Quarterly revenues of $34.0 billion were up 3% from fourth quarter 2000 revenues on a comparable basis, but down 3% on a reported basis. Industrial revenues increased by 4% during the quarter. The Financial Accounting Standards Board required companies to adopt new accounting rules for derivatives, warrants, options and other financial instruments (SFAS 133 and EITF 99-20) by first quarter 2001. The cumulative effect on GE of these changes for positions held as of December 31, 2000, was a one-time, non-cash charge of $444 million ($.04 per share), which was recorded during the first quarter. Business highlights for the fourth quarter include: GE Power Systems (GEPS) continued to experience record demand for its products and services, and ended the year with a total orders backlog of $28.9 billion, up $3.8 billion or 15% over 2000. GEPS delivered 86 heavy-duty gas turbines in the quarter, 18% more than in fourth quarter 2000, and 46 aero-derivative units, up 77%. GEPS Energy Services unit added $4.4 billion in contractual services agreements in the fourth quarter and ended 2001 with $24.6 billion in agreements, over 50% higher than at the end of 2000. GEPS continued to improve its world-class turbine technology, shipping its first 7FB gas turbine and beginning the installation of its first H SystemO , which will be the world's most energy-efficient combined-cycle system. Power Systems also strengthened its service capabilities with several acquisitions, including an agreement to acquire Bently Nevada Corporation, a global provider of rotor dynamics technology and remote monitoring and diagnostics. GE Medical Systems (GEMS) continued to deliver world-class technology, as reflected in strong demand for its Six Sigma-designed equipment and information systems. Total equipment orders increased 20% over last year to $6.2 billion. Orders for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) systems, grew 122%, with sales of Discovery LS systems up 173%. Sales of GE's revolutionary digital x-ray products tripled, with orders for the GE Senographe 2000D digital mammography system doubling, and ultrasound sales grew 35% as GEMS introduced a new family of radiology and cardiology products. Sales of information technology and networking systems grew 36% to $450 million, with strong customer acceptance of Centricity, a new portfolio of offerings to enhance hospital productivity. In the quarter, GE Medical completed its acquisitions of Imatron, Inc., a manufacturer of Ultra Fast Tomography systems that are ideal for the growing area of cardiac CT; Kretztechnik, a leading provider of advanced 3D ultrasound systems; and Surgical Insights, a developer of image-guided solutions for surgery. GEMS also announced a broad agreement for collaboration with Amersham Health to develop tools such as targeted molecular radiopharmaceuticals for early detection of diseases including cancer and Parkinson's Disease. GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) won $765 million in equipment orders during the fourth quarter from customers including Japan Airlines, Qantas, Continental Airlines and China Southwest. GEAE also added approximately $1 billion in multi-year service agreements during the quarter, ending 2001 with $24 billion in agreements. During the quarter, GEAE successfully tested its GE90-115B engine, which will be the exclusive power plant for Boeing's 777 extended-range jets. In GEAE's military operations, orders from the U.S. military increased following Sept. 11. In addition, GEAE received more than $450 million in contracts for engine design and development work for the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter program. GE Capital Services (GECS) positioned itself for continued double-digit earnings growth with strong performance in core operations and robust acquisition activity. GECS experienced record core volume in its commercial financing businesses, up 29% over fourth quarter 2000, and continued strong growth in the Consumer Services segment. GECS completed the previously announced acquisition of Heller Financial Services in the quarter and announced agreements to acquire more than $8 billion of assets, including Security Capital, an international real estate operating company. Aggressive digitization and productivity efforts continued to improve GECS cost position, reducing operating and administrative costs to 27.2% of revenue for the year, a 1.2 percentage point improvement from 2000. GECS and SES/Astra completed the formation of their strategic global satellite partnership in the fourth quarter, with GECS retaining a 30.7% equity interest and realizing an after-tax gain of $642 million. Also during the quarter, GECS incurred after-tax costs of $656 million in certain unprofitable insurance and financing product lines that are being exited; in disposing of and providing for disposition of several nonstrategic investments and other assets, including $84 million in losses on investments in Enron bonds; and in restructuring various global operations. NBC strengthened its position as the Number 1 network for adults 18 to 49, winning its seventh consecutive sweep month in this key demographic in November, and ending 2001 with the largest lead (16 percent) among viewers 18-49 that any network has had in the past four years. NBC received the most Emmy nominations and awards of any broadcast network for the seventh consecutive year, and won 16 Emmys, including 8 for The West Wing. The Today Show, Nightly News, and Meet the Press continued their leadership in key demographics, with Nightly News finishing first in total viewers for the ninth consecutive quarter. Ratings for NBC Sports' NASCAR broadcasts grew 34% over last year. CNBC grew its primetime weekday ratings 4%, and MSNBC's viewership reached record levels in the quarter. In October, NBC announced the largest strategic acquisition in its history, an agreement to acquire Telemundo for approximately $2.7 billion. NBC also agreed to purchase KNTV in San Francisco, the country's fifth-largest TV market. Immelt said, 'The GE business model works. Our diversity facilitates growth in every cycle, and our cash flow confirms the quality of our earnings. Our initiatives are accelerating, and give us strong momentum going into 2002. Our financial strength gives us the ability to invest in new products and services and make strategic acquisitions that position the Company for the long term. These results reflect the efforts of a great GE team that is executing extremely well in a difficult global environment. We are well positioned to meet our target of 17-18% earnings growth in 2002, even if the economy does not recover, and to grow more if a recovery does take place. Our best days are ahead.' GE (NYSE:GE) is a diversified technology, services and manufacturing company with a commitment to achieving customer success. GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs approximately 310,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at http://www.ge.com. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This document includes certain 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors. More detailed information about those factors is contained in GE's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY All amounts except per-share earnings are in millions of U.S. dollars FOURTH QUARTER TWELVE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2001 2001 $ 2000 $ V% 2001 $ 2000 $ V% Revenues 33,975 34,981 (3) 125,913 129,853 (3) Earnings before accounting changes 3,933 3,585 10 14,128 12,735 11 Effect of accounting changes - - - (444) - Earnings after accounting changes 3,933 3,585 10 13,684 12,735 7 Per-Share Earnings Diluted Before accounting changes 0.39 0.36 8 1.41 1.27 11 Effect of accounting changes - - - (0.04) - After accounting changes 0.39 0.36 8 1.37 1.27 8 Basic Before accounting changes 0.40 0.36 11 1.42 1.29 10 Effect of accounting changes - - - (0.04) - After accounting changes 0.40 0.36 11 1.38 1.29 7 Segment Information 2001 2000 V% 2001 2000 V% Revenues Aircraft Engines 2,745 3,009 (9) 11,389 10,779 6 Appliances 1,558 1,436 8 5,810 5,887 (1) NBC 1,537 1,553 (1) 5,769 6,797 (15) Industrial Products and Systems 3,042 3,187 (5) 11,647 11,630 - Materials 1,598 1,999 (20) 7,069 8,020 (12) Power Systems 5,771 4,392 31 20,211 14,861 36 Technical Products and Services 2,759 2,359 17 9,011 7,915 14 GE Capital Services 15,933 17,582 (9) 58,353 66,177 (12) Segment profit Aircraft Engines 670 683 (2) 2,609 2,464 6 Appliances 188 181 4 643 684 (6) NBC 460 476 (3) 1,602 1,797 (11) Industrial Products and Systems 481 547 (12) 1,843 2,095 (12) Materials 285 506 (44) 1,596 2,015 (21) Power Systems 1,703 934 82 5,182 2,809 84 Technical Products and Services 620 526 18 1,970 1,718 15 GE Capital Services net earnings before 1,407 1,227 15 5,586 5,192 8 accounting changes Contact: General Electric, Fairfield David Frail, 203/373-3387 david.frail@corporate.ge.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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