Profitability ratios measure the company’s ability to generate profitable sales from its resources (assets).

Ratios (Summary)
Gross Profit Margin
Operating Profit Margin
Net Profit Margin
Return on Equity (ROE)
Return on Assets (ROA)

General Electric Co., profitability ratios (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Return on Sales
	Gross profit margin
	Operating profit margin
	Net profit margin
	Return on Investment
	Return on equity (ROE)
	Return on assets (ROA)

Ratio	Description	The company
Gross profit margin	Gross profit margin indicates the percentage of revenue available to cover operating and other expenditures.	General Electric Co.’s gross profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 and from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.
Operating profit margin	A profitability ratio calculated as operating income divided by revenue.	General Electric Co.’s operating profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018 exceeding Q2 2018 level.
Net profit margin	An indicator of profitability, calculated as net income divided by revenue.	General Electric Co.’s net profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

Ratio	Description	The company
ROE	A profitability ratio calculated as net income divided by shareholders’ equity.	General Electric Co.’s ROE deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.
ROA	A profitability ratio calculated as net income divided by total assets.	General Electric Co.’s ROA deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

General Electric Co., gross profit margin calculation (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Selected Financial Data (USD $ in millions)
	Gross profit from sales
	Sales of goods and services
	Ratio
	Gross profit margin¹

Q4 2018 Calculations

¹ Gross profit margin = 100 × (Gross profit from sales_{Q4 2018} + Gross profit from sales_{Q3 2018} + Gross profit from sales_{Q2 2018} + Gross profit from sales_{Q1 2018}) ÷ (Sales of goods and services_{Q4 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q3 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q2 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q1 2018})
= 100 × ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) ÷ ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) = hidden

Ratio	Description	The company
Gross profit margin	Gross profit margin indicates the percentage of revenue available to cover operating and other expenditures.	General Electric Co.’s gross profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 and from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

General Electric Co., operating profit margin calculation (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Selected Financial Data (USD $ in millions)
	Operating earnings
	Sales of goods and services
	Ratio
	Operating profit margin¹

Q4 2018 Calculations

¹ Operating profit margin = 100 × (Operating earnings_{Q4 2018} + Operating earnings_{Q3 2018} + Operating earnings_{Q2 2018} + Operating earnings_{Q1 2018}) ÷ (Sales of goods and services_{Q4 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q3 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q2 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q1 2018})
= 100 × ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) ÷ ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) = hidden

Ratio	Description	The company
Operating profit margin	A profitability ratio calculated as operating income divided by revenue.	General Electric Co.’s operating profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018 exceeding Q2 2018 level.

General Electric Co., net profit margin calculation (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Selected Financial Data (USD $ in millions)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company
	Sales of goods and services
	Ratio
	Net profit margin¹

Q4 2018 Calculations

¹ Net profit margin = 100 × (Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q4 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q3 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q2 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q1 2018}) ÷ (Sales of goods and services_{Q4 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q3 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q2 2018} + Sales of goods and services_{Q1 2018})
= 100 × ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) ÷ ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) = hidden

Ratio	Description	The company
Net profit margin	An indicator of profitability, calculated as net income divided by revenue.	General Electric Co.’s net profit margin deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

General Electric Co., ROE calculation (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Selected Financial Data (USD $ in millions)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company
	Total GE shareowners’ equity
	Ratio
	ROE¹

Q4 2018 Calculations

¹ ROE = 100 × (Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q4 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q3 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q2 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q1 2018}) ÷ Total GE shareowners’ equity
= 100 × ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) ÷ hidden = hidden

Ratio	Description	The company
ROE	A profitability ratio calculated as net income divided by shareholders’ equity.	General Electric Co.’s ROE deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

General Electric Co., ROA calculation (quarterly data)

		Dec 31, 2018	Sep 30, 2018	Jun 30, 2018	Mar 31, 2018	Dec 31, 2017	Sep 30, 2017	Jun 30, 2017	Mar 31, 2017	Dec 31, 2016	Sep 30, 2016	Jun 30, 2016	Mar 31, 2016	Dec 31, 2015	Sep 30, 2015	Jun 30, 2015	Mar 31, 2015	Dec 31, 2014	Sep 30, 2014	Jun 30, 2014	Mar 31, 2014
	Selected Financial Data (USD $ in millions)
	Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company
	Total assets
	Ratio
	ROA¹

Q4 2018 Calculations

¹ ROA = 100 × (Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q4 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q3 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q2 2018} + Net earnings (loss) attributable to the Company_{Q1 2018}) ÷ Total assets
= 100 × ( hidden + hidden + hidden + hidden ) ÷ hidden = hidden

Ratio	Description	The company
ROA	A profitability ratio calculated as net income divided by total assets.	General Electric Co.’s ROA deteriorated from Q2 2018 to Q3 2018 but then slightly improved from Q3 2018 to Q4 2018.

	General Electric Co.	Other companies (not purchased previously)
Financial Statements
Common-Size Financial Statements
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Relative Valuation
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Valuation
Economic Value Added (EVA)
Long-term Trends
Analysis
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Financial Statements
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General Electric Co. (GE)

Profitability Analysis
Quarterly Data

Ratios (Summary)

Gross Profit Margin

Operating Profit Margin

Net Profit Margin

Return on Equity (ROE)

Return on Assets (ROA)

General Electric Co. (GE)

Profitability AnalysisQuarterly Data

Ratios (Summary)

Gross Profit Margin

Operating Profit Margin

Net Profit Margin

Return on Equity (ROE)

Return on Assets (ROA)

Profitability Analysis
Quarterly Data