New York, Jan 28, 2026, 19:51 EST — After-hours
Shares of GE Aerospace dropped around 1.7% to $292.48 in after-hours trading Wednesday, slipping about $5 below their previous close. The stock fluctuated between $291.35 and $299.73 throughout the session.
The drop followed Boeing’s Jan. 27 earnings call, where CEO Kelly Ortberg flagged a potential durability problem with GE Aerospace’s GE9X engines for the 777-9. He stressed the issue won’t affect the 2027 delivery schedule. GE told FlightGlobal it’s running an “on-wing inspection programme” while investigating and working on a fix. 1
GE also dropped news on the tape. It finished ground testing a hybrid-electric turbofan system at its Peebles test site in Ohio, part of a NASA-backed project. The test used a modified Passport engine, showcasing power extraction and reinjection while keeping operations stable. “There is no hybrid-electric engine flying today,” said NASA project manager Anthony Nerone, highlighting what the full-architecture test revealed to engineers. 2
GE slipped 1.68% in regular trading, ending a two-day rally. The drop was milder than declines in Honeywell and RTX, which also closed lower. GE’s trading volume exceeded its 50-day average. The Dow inched up slightly, while the S&P 500 held mostly flat. Shares of GE remain about 12% shy of their Jan. 6, 52-week peak. 3
The stock is still absorbing GE’s Jan. 22 forecast, which outlined adjusted earnings per share between $7.10 and $7.40 for 2026, alongside free cash flow of $8.0 billion to $8.4 billion. CEO H. Lawrence Culp Jr. noted the company kicked off 2026 with “solid momentum,” driven by faster services growth and equipment production. 4
GE’s aftermarket — the parts and maintenance sold once an engine is already flying — is a crucial battleground. Reliability and quick turnaround directly affect both revenue and expenses. Reuters reported this month that over 70% of GE’s commercial engine revenue stems from parts and services. This mix helps smooth out fluctuations in aircraft deliveries but also keeps investors wary of any issues with durability or supply constraints. 5
Durability fixes, however, often take time, and extra inspections or broader quality campaigns can tie up shop capacity, push costs higher, and rattle airline customers. Should global travel demand soften or aircraft supply constraints ease sooner than anticipated, the boost from high-margin spares might disappear.
Traders are now waiting for more updates from Boeing and GE on the root cause and fixes for the GE9X, along with GE Aerospace’s next update when it releases first-quarter results on April 21. The earnings calendar has the second-quarter report scheduled for July 16. 6
