GE will create a simpler, more valuable company by reducing the size of its financial businesses through the sale of most GE Capital assets.
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GE and its board have determined that market conditions are favorable to pursue disposition of most GE Capital assets over the next 24 months except the financing "verticals" that relate to GE's industrial businesses.
Under the plan, the GE Capital businesses that will remain with GE will account for about $90 billion in ending net investments (ENI) excluding liquidity – about $40 billion in the U.S. – with expected returns in excess of their cost of capital.
As part of the execution of this new plan, GE announced today an agreement to sell the bulk of the assets of GE Capital Real Estate to funds managed by Blackstone.
Wells Fargo will acquire a portion of the performing loans at closing. The Company also has letters of intent with other buyers for an additional $4 billion of commercial real estate assets. In total, these transactions are valued at approximately $26.5 billion.
Under the plan, GE expects that by 2018 more than 90 percent of its earnings will be generated by its high-return industrial businesses, up from 58% in 2014.
In 2015, GE's industrial businesses remain on track for operating earnings per share of $1.10-$1.20, up solid double digits, in line with expectations.
GE Capital has been an important part of the history of GE. However, the business model for large, wholesale-funded financial companies has changed, making it increasingly difficult to generate acceptable returns going forward.
GE will retain its "vertical" financing businesses – GE Capital Aviation Services, Energy Financial Services and Healthcare Equipment Finance – that directly relate to its core industrial businesses. The assets targeted for disposition, in addition to Real Estate, are most of the Commercial Lending and Leasing segment, and all Consumer platforms, including all U.S. and international banking assets.
These businesses represent roughly $200 billion in ENI. Since 2008, GE has reduced GE Capital's ENI from $538 billion to $363 billion at the end of 2014. The separation of Synchrony Financial, which is targeted by the end of 2015, and other recently announced dispositions, account for another $75 billion in ENI reduction (the Synchrony separation is subject to regulatory approval).
There is potential to return more than $90 billion to investors in dividends, buyback and the Synchrony exchange through 2018. The exits of the targeted GE Capital businesses should release approximately $35 billion in dividends to GE (subject to regulatory approval), which, under GE's base plan, are expected to be allocated to buyback; this is in addition to the impact of the Synchrony exchange and ongoing dividends. The GE Board has authorized a new repurchase program of up to $50 billion in common stock, excluding the Synchrony exchange.
GE expects to reduce its share count to 8-8.5 billion by 2018. These actions would still allow room for opportunistic "bolt on" acquisitions in GE's core markets. GE also said it plans to maintain its dividend at the current level in 2016 and grow it thereafter. ■
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