GE Reports 2Q'13 Operating EPS $0.36, Revenues $35.1B; Infrastructure orders +4%, U.S. orders +20%,

GE Reports 2Q'13 Operating EPS $0.36, Revenues $35.1B;

Infrastructure orders +4%, U.S. orders +20%, record backlog of $223B;

Industrial segment margins +50 basis points

FAIRFIELD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- GE (NYS: GE) :

2Q 2013 Highlights

• 2Q orders +4%; U.S. orders +20%

• Operating EPS of $0.36, includes positive items of $0.02 offset by $0.04 of restructuring and other items

• Profit growth in six of seven Industrial businesses

• Industrial segment growth market revenues +5%

• Industrial segment margins +50 bps. with strong performance in six of seven segments

• $9.9 billion returned to shareholders year-to-date

• Overall framework for 2013 remains unchanged

GE [NYSE: GE] announced today second-quarter 2013 operating earnings of $3.7 billion, or $0.36 per share, down 8% and 5% respectively from the second quarter of 2012. GAAP earnings from continuing operations were $3.3 billion, or $0.31 per share, down 11% and 9% respectively. Net earnings of $3.1 billion, or $0.30 per share, rose 1% and 3% respectively from the year-ago period. Positive items of $0.02 per share were more than offset by $0.04 per share of restructuring and other items. Revenues were $35.1 billion for the quarter, down 4% from the year-ago period.

"In the second quarter, GE achieved Industrial segment profit growth in six of seven businesses, reduced structural costs, and continued to invest in growth," said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt. "We executed in a business environment that was slightly improved versus the first quarter. Emerging markets remain resilient, and in the U.S. we saw strong growth in orders this quarter. Europe is stabilizing but still challenged. We expect margin expansion to continue and segment profits to grow in the second half of the year."

Infrastructure orders for the quarter rose 4% to $24.1 billion. GE's backlog of equipment and services at the end of the quarter was its highest ever at $223 billion, up $7 billion from the first quarter. Infrastructure order pricing rose 0.9% for the quarter.

Industrial segment margins rose 50 basis points in the quarter. Strong price performance and material deflation contributed to $293 million of positive value gap. This was partially offset by unfavorable volume timing for Power & Water. Unit shipments in Power & Water are expected to strengthen in the second half of the year. The Company has reduced Industrial structural costs $474 million year-to-date. GE remains on track for planned margin growth of 70 basis points for the year.

During the quarter, GE and its aircraft engine joint ventures announced Aviation wins totaling more than $26 billion at the Paris Air Show. This included commitments for $8.6 billion for CFM LEAP engines and CFM56-5B engines for AirAsia, $1.8 billion for GEnx engines for United Airlines, and $760 million for CFM LEAP engines in 30 Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplanes for CIT Group. In Healthcare Systems, U.S. equipment orders grew 9% versus the year-ago period.

GE Capital progressed with its strategy to decrease the size of its portfolio and focus on its core businesses. GE Capital earnings fell 9%, in line with planned asset reductions. ENI (excluding cash and equivalents) was $391 billion at quarter-end. Volume was up 5% for the quarter, with good returns. General Electric Capital Corporation's (GECC) Tier 1 common ratio under Basel 1 rose 108 basis points to 11.2%, and net interest margin was strong at 5%. During the quarter, GECC paid $1.9 billion in dividends to the parent, and GE announced plans for up to $6.5 billion in total GECC dividends for 2013.

GE generated $5.1 billion in total cash from operating activities (CFOA) during the second quarter, excluding NBCU deal-related taxes. CFOA was lower year-to-date primarily due to NBCU deal-related taxes. GE ended the quarter with $89 billion of consolidated cash and cash equivalents. GE Capital commercial paper outstanding was $36 billion at quarter-end, down from $43 billion at the end of 2012.

GE continues to execute on its balanced, disciplined capital allocation plan. GE has returned $9.9 billion to investors year-to-date through dividends and share buybacks. In the second quarter, GE announced the $3.3 billion acquisition of Lufkin Industries, a leading provider of artificial lift technologies for the oil and gas industry and a manufacturer of industrial gears. This transaction closed on July 1, 2013. GE's December 2012-announced acquisition of the aviation business of Avio, an Italy-based manufacturer of aviation propulsion components and systems for civil and military aircraft, remains on track to close in the second half of 2013.

Immelt concluded, "This quarter we delivered Industrial segment profit growth. We continue to execute on operational priorities within our control: achieving our cost-out goals, maintaining a very strong cash position, reducing the size of GE Capital, and returning substantial cash to shareholders. Our overall framework for the year is unchanged."

Second-quarter Highlights:

Second-quarter operating earnings were $3.7 billion, down 8% from second-quarter 2012 and operating EPS was $0.36, down 5%. GAAP earnings from continuing operations (attributable to GE) were $3.3 billion, down 11% to $0.31 per share and down 9% from the second quarter of 2012. Positive items of $0.02 per share were more than offset by $0.04 per share of restructuring and other items.

Including the effects of discontinued operations, second-quarter net earnings attributable to GE were $3.1 billion ($0.30 per share) in 2013 compared with $3.1 billion ($0.29 per share) in the second quarter of 2012. This is an increase in net earnings of 1% and net EPS of 3%.

Second-quarter revenues were down 4% at $35.1 billion. Industrial sales of $24.6 billion fell 2% versus the second quarter of 2012. GECC revenues of $11 billion fell 3% from last year.

Cash generated from GE operating activities year-to-date totaled $3.7 billion ($5.3 billion excluding NBCU-related taxes), compared to $6.8 billion last year.

The accompanying tables include information integral to assessing the Company's financial position, operating performance and cash flow.

GE will discuss preliminary second-quarter results on a Webcast at 8:30 a.m. ET today, available at www.ge.com/investor. Related charts will be posted there prior to the call.

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