GE Aerospace Stock After Hours Dec. 12, 2025: Citi Buy Call, FAA LEAP Directive, and What to Watch Before the Next Open

(SEO): GE Aerospace (GE) closed up nearly 4% on Dec. 12, 2025 and ticked higher after hours. Here’s the news, analyst targets, and key catalysts to watch next.

GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) ended Friday, December 12, 2025, with a strong gain during regular trading and a modest move after the bell—as investors weighed fresh Wall Street coverage, a major FAA airworthiness directive tied to CFM’s LEAP engine family, and broader aerospace/defense “megatrend” positioning.

It’s also worth a quick calendar reality check: December 13, 2025 is a Saturday, so U.S. stock markets are closed. The “next open” most investors are preparing for is Monday’s session, December 15, 2025 (with weekend headlines shaping Monday’s pre-market tone).

GE Aerospace stock price: what happened after the bell on 12/12/2025?

GE shares closed Friday at $299.81, up 3.95% on the day (after trading between roughly $290.70 and $304.01). ^[1]

In extended trading, GE nudged higher. As of 5:30 p.m. ET, shares were around $300.80 (+0.33% vs. the regular close), with after-hours trading ranging approximately $299.81 to $301.98. ^[2]

Why GE Aerospace jumped Friday: the 12/12 news cycle that mattered

Friday’s move wasn’t about a single headline—it was a convergence of new analyst positioning and engine-safety regulatory news that investors in aerospace follow closely.

1) Citi initiates coverage: “Buy” rating and a $386 target

A key catalyst on December 12 was Citi’s initiation of coverage on GE Aerospace with a Buy rating and a $386 price target, arguing the aerospace and defense group is supported by multiple long-duration “megatrends.” Citi also suggested GE could be a candidate to reach a $1 trillion market cap in as little as five years, in its bull-case framing. ^[3]

Barron’s also highlighted Citi’s broader “megatrends” framework (rising global air travel, higher jet production, international rearmament, AI-enabled defense systems, and a growing space economy) and listed GE among Citi’s Buy-rated ideas. ^[4]

Why it matters for the stock: initiations can re-set the conversation for momentum investors—especially when a large bank attaches an above-consensus target and a thematic narrative. Even when nothing operational changes overnight, the “who is underwriting the story” can change sentiment quickly.

2) FAA issues a new airworthiness directive affecting certain CFM LEAP‑1A engines

The other major piece of same-day news came from regulators.

On December 12, 2025, the FAA published a final rule / request for comments adopting a new Airworthiness Directive (AD 2025‑21‑03) for certain CFM International LEAP‑1A engine variants. The FAA said the AD was prompted by reports of two in-flight shutdowns and a manufacturer investigation that found cracks in high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor stage 1 blades. ^[5]

The directive requires initial and repetitive borescope inspections of those HPT blades—and depending on results, potentially more frequent inspections or blade replacement. ^[6]

Important nuance from the FAA’s own cost section: the agency estimates the AD affects 0 engines installed on airplanes of U.S. registry, and it put an estimated $340 labor cost per borescope inspection (no parts cost included in that line item). ^[7]

Why it matters for GE: CFM International is the 50/50 joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran (CFM is central to GE’s narrowbody exposure via LEAP). Regulatory actions can influence:

airline maintenance planning and shop-visit timing,
near-term operational headlines and reputational risk,
and (sometimes) aftermarket demand patterns.

FlightGlobal’s reporting around the same issue emphasized the “dust-related” nature of the inspections and linked the blade cracking concern to accelerated deterioration in certain operating environments; FlightGlobal also noted the FAA action discussed LEAP‑1A (A320neo-family) rather than LEAP‑1B (737 MAX). ^[8]

3) Defense-related order flow stayed in the backdrop (LM2500 marine engines)

Although not dated December 12 on GE’s own site, investors also continued to digest GE Aerospace’s December 10 announcement that its Marine Engines & Systems business received orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (USS Intrepid and USS Robert Kerrey). ^[9]

GE’s release underscored the scale and longevity of that franchise (including how widely LM2500 is used in naval fleets), reinforcing the “defense + services” narrative that several analysts lean on. ^[10]

What analysts are forecasting right now (as of 12/12/2025)

Citi’s new bull case: $386 target

Citi’s initiation set a high bar at $386, pointing to multi-year aerospace and defense tailwinds and the potential for very large market-cap outcomes. ^[11]

Other recent Street calls: $325–$366+ targets still in play

In the weeks leading into Citi’s note, other major firms also turned more constructive:

JPMorgan raised its GE Aerospace price target to $325 (from $275) and kept an Overweight rating, citing strong demand and strong execution. ^[12]
BofA raised its target to $365 (from $310) and kept a Buy rating, pointing to Q3 outperformance and a strong setup into 2026. ^[13]
UBS raised its target to $366 (from $344) and kept a Buy rating, saying it expects GE to keep beating and raising—even while the “bar” rises. ^[14]
Susquehanna initiated coverage earlier in December with a Positive rating and a $350 target, highlighting the installed base and the profitability contribution of services (the note described services as ~65% of revenue). ^[15]

Consensus targets: wide range, but generally bullish

One snapshot of consensus compiled from analysts shows an average target around $339.69 (with a high estimate $374 and low estimate $275). ^[16]

How to read this: Citi’s $386 stands out as an upper-end view, while a cluster of recent large-bank targets sits in the low-to-mid $300s. That doesn’t “guarantee” upside—targets change—but it does describe the current tone: the Street is largely pricing GE as a premium aerospace compounder rather than a cyclical industrial.

Fundamentals investors keep coming back to: guidance, services, and LEAP production recovery

Even though Friday’s move was headline-driven, longer-term holders are still anchored to a few core operating themes:

GE raised 2025 profit guidance earlier this fall

Back in October, GE Aerospace raised its 2025 adjusted EPS outlook to $6.00–$6.20, citing robust aftermarket demand. ^[17]

LEAP deliveries and production normalization remain a central debate

A major bull case rests on improving engine deliveries as supply chains heal, while the bear case worries about bottlenecks, durability topics, and regulatory friction.

S&P Global Market Intelligence, for example, projected a meaningful 2025 rebound in commercial engine shipments and expected LEAP deliveries to jump notably year over year. ^[18]

Why Friday’s FAA directive matters in this context: it’s not necessarily a “thesis breaker,” especially since the FAA indicated no U.S.-registered engines are affected. ^[19] But it is a reminder that next-gen engine platforms are intensely monitored—and localized operating conditions (dust/sand environments, for example) can create highly specific maintenance regimes that become part of the narrative investors must track.

What to know before the next market session

Because Saturday (Dec. 13) is not a U.S. trading day, the practical question is: what could move GE before Monday’s open (Dec. 15)? Here are the key items investors will likely watch.

1) Any follow-through headlines on the FAA LEAP‑1A directive

This is the newest and most technical “risk headline” in the stack.

What to watch over the weekend and into Monday:

whether airlines or lessors comment on operational impact,
whether Airbus-related operators in South Asia signal added inspections,
and whether industry outlets add clarity on how broad the affected population is (beyond the FAA’s “U.S. registry” note). ^[20]

Also notable: the FAA called the AD an interim action and said the unsafe condition is still under investigation, leaving open the possibility of further rulemaking. ^[21]

2) Boeing MAX certification news still matters indirectly

Reuters reported on December 12 that the FAA will review Boeing’s proposed enhanced cockpit alerting system for the 737 MAX 10, and reiterated that certification timelines have been pressured by issues including engine de-icing concerns. ^[22]

GE Aerospace doesn’t “trade like Boeing,” but Boeing production rates and certification timelines can influence the broader aerospace supply chain and investor sentiment—especially for companies tied to narrowbody utilization and engine deliveries.

3) Upcoming shareholder calendar items: dividend and earnings date

Two near-term calendar markers that can affect positioning:

Dividend: GE Aerospace declared a $0.36/share quarterly dividend, payable Jan. 26, 2026, with an ex-dividend date of Dec. 29, 2025. ^[23]
Next earnings: Nasdaq’s earnings page estimates GE will report around Jan. 22, 2026, and Zacks also points to Jan. 22, 2026 with an EPS estimate near $1.40 (timing/estimates can change). ^[24]

4) The “megatrend basket” trade: watch peers

Because Citi’s note framed GE inside a broader aerospace/defense megatrend basket, Monday’s tape may also react to what happens in:

RTX,
Boeing,
Howmet,
HEICO,
and other supplier names Citi flagged. ^[25]

If the sector rotates, GE can move even without company-specific news.

Bottom line: GE ends 12/12 strong, but Monday’s open will hinge on two narratives

GE Aerospace finished Dec. 12 with a clean upside move in the regular session and a mild uptick after hours (around $300.80 as of 5:30 p.m. ET). ^[26]

Going into the next session, investor attention is likely to split between:

Bullish sentiment catalysts — Citi’s Buy initiation and high-end target reinforcing the “premium compounder” storyline. ^[27]
Operational/regulatory vigilance — the FAA’s new LEAP‑1A airworthiness directive and what it implies about inspections, durability headlines, and potential follow-on actions (even if U.S.-registered engines aren’t affected). ^[28]