(SEO): GE Aerospace stock (NYSE: GE) is back in focus as Citi initiates coverage with a $386 price target, the FAA finalizes new LEAP-1A inspection requirements, and investors look ahead to GE’s January 2026 earnings and dividend dates.
Byline: Staff Writer
Published: December 14, 2025
GE Aerospace stock (NYSE: GE) is closing out the week in the spotlight after a sharp Friday move, fresh Wall Street coverage, and a new regulatory development tied to CFM’s LEAP engine family. Shares finished Friday, Dec. 12, at $299.81, a +3.95% day-over-day gain after trading as high as roughly $304 during the session. [1]
The near-term story is being driven by three converging headlines:
- Citigroup initiated coverage with a “Buy” and a $386 price target, arguing GE is positioned to capitalize on multi-year aerospace and defense “megatrends.” [2]
- The FAA published a final airworthiness directive for certain LEAP‑1A engines, requiring recurring borescope inspections of high-pressure turbine blades for engines operating in South Asia, with the rule taking effect late December. [3]
- GE’s own recent updates on defense and commercial wins continue to reinforce a “services-plus-installed-base” investment case heading into 2026. [4]
Below is a detailed, publication-ready roundup of today’s (Dec. 14, 2025) most current news, forecasts, and analyses shaping GE Aerospace stock.
GE Aerospace stock: where shares stand now
GE Aerospace ended Friday at $299.81, wrapping a volatile week near the psychologically important $300 level. [5]
Key context investors are watching:
- 52-week high:$316.67 (set Oct. 28, 2025), leaving GE still below recent highs even after the Friday bounce. [6]
- Market cap: roughly $316–$319 billion, depending on the data source and timing. [7]
- 2025 performance: multiple market summaries put GE Aerospace up roughly ~80% year-to-date at this point in 2025, one reason the stock has remained a “leadership” name within industrials and aerospace. [8]
That strong run matters because it frames the debate heading into 2026: is GE still early in a multi-year compounding cycle—or already priced for near-perfection?
The biggest new catalyst: Citi initiates coverage with a $386 target
The most market-moving development in the current news cycle is Citigroup’s initiation.
- Citi started coverage with a Buy rating and a $386 price target. [9]
- In market coverage of the note, Citi’s thesis centers on GE’s ability to benefit from long-running trends across commercial aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, and space, with the firm even floating a path to a $1 trillion market cap over the coming years. [10]
Barron’s framed Citi’s broader sector call as a bet on aerospace and defense being tied to secular forces that can persist even when economic growth cools—things like airline fleet renewal, global defense rearmament, and new technology cycles. [11]
Why this matters for GE stock: Initiations can act like a “fresh reset” for institutional investors—especially when they come with a high-end target that becomes a reference point across terminals, headlines, and trading desks. It doesn’t guarantee performance, but it can amplify attention and liquidity around a name that already trades like a bellwether.
New regulatory headline: FAA finalizes LEAP‑1A inspections (effective Dec. 29, 2025)
While Citi’s call helped fuel the stock’s latest surge, the most concrete operational headline in the last 48 hours is regulatory:
What the FAA issued
On Dec. 12, 2025, the FAA adopted a new airworthiness directive covering certain CFM LEAP‑1A engine variants, prompted by reports of in-flight shutdowns and findings of cracking in high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor stage 1 blades. [12]
What it requires
The directive requires initial and repetitive borescope inspections of HPT stage 1 blades, and depending on inspection results, either more frequent inspections or blade replacement. [13]
Why dust exposure is central
The FAA’s background section links risk to accelerated deterioration associated with dust build-up, first associated with certain operating environments and later expanded to include South Asia exposure. [14]
Key dates investors will note
What it could mean for GE Aerospace financially
This is where the story gets nuanced. CFM is a joint venture and the LEAP family is one of the most important narrowbody engine programs globally. A directive like this can cut in multiple directions:
- Potential negative: inspections, removals, and extra shop visits can disrupt airline operations and put a spotlight on durability challenges in harsh environments. [17]
- Potential positive (services pull-through): GE Aerospace is fundamentally a services-heavy engine business, and incremental inspections and maintenance actions can increase demand for parts and shop capacity—though the economics depend on contract structure and responsibility for costs.
For investors, the practical question is whether directives like this become isolated events or part of a broader pattern of operational friction across the global engine fleet.
Defense momentum: GE wins LM2500 orders for next-gen U.S. Navy destroyers
GE Aerospace also added a fresh defense-focused headline on Dec. 10, 2025, when the company said its Marine Engines & Systems unit received orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers:
- future USS Intrepid (DDG 145)
- future USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146)
Each ship is powered by four LM2500 engines, according to GE. [18]
In the same release, GE highlighted the scale of the installed base supporting this franchise—pointing to the Arleigh Burke class as the backbone of the U.S. Navy surface fleet for decades, and noting more than 700 LM2500 turbines delivered across U.S. Navy surface combatants historically. [19]
Investor takeaway: Defense is rarely the biggest piece of the GE Aerospace story on any single day—but it provides diversification, long program durations, and “sticky” service economics that can support visibility through cycles.
Commercial aviation demand: Emirates signs for 130 additional GE9X engines
A separate tailwind is GE Aerospace’s ability to convert long-cycle widebody programs into multi-decade services streams.
GE announced that Emirates signed an agreement for 130 additional GE9X engines to power its growing fleet of Boeing 777‑9s, including spare engines and a long-term services agreement. The company said the order makes Emirates the largest GE9X customer with 540 engines. [20]
Why this matters for GE stock: Even as investors focus on narrowbody rates (LEAP) and near-term supply chains, widebody wins like GE9X can translate into long-duration, high-value aftermarket revenue—once aircraft enter service and the fleet matures.
The core fundamentals: 2025 guidance, deliveries, and the aftermarket engine
The broader bullish case still rests on what GE has already been doing in 2025:
- GE Aerospace raised its 2025 adjusted EPS outlook to $6.00–$6.20 in October, citing demand for commercial engines and services. [21]
- Reuters also highlighted that GE reported strong improvements in deliveries and aftermarket performance in Q3, including growth in servicing and spare parts. [22]
MarketWatch characterized the October results as pushing GE’s profit outlook to its highest expected level in years, emphasizing delivery growth and LEAP engine momentum at that time. [23]
The throughline: as long as the global fleet stays heavily utilized and new aircraft deliveries remain constrained in pockets, airlines often lean harder on maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO)—which tends to support GE’s high-margin services engine.
Analyst forecasts and price targets: what Wall Street is signaling right now
The newest analyst call (Citi) matters, but it’s not happening in a vacuum. Over the past two months, several firms have adjusted price targets, creating a clearer “target zone” across the Street.
Recent notable targets and stances
- Citi:Buy, $386 target (initiation) [24]
- Susquehanna:Positive, $350 target; one published summary cites a 14.7% EPS CAGR expectation for 2025–2028 and emphasizes the services-heavy model. [25]
- BofA: raised target to $365 (kept Buy) in late October, per coverage of the note. [26]
- UBS: raised target to $366 (kept Buy) in October, according to multiple report summaries. [27]
- JPMorgan: raised target to $325 (kept Overweight) in late October, per note summaries. [28]
- BNP Paribas Exane: initiated with Underperform and a $275 target (a clear outlier vs. the more bullish cluster). [29]
Consensus snapshot
Aggregated analyst dashboards currently cluster the average 12-month target near the low $300s (roughly ~$311 in one widely-cited aggregation), with the high end pushed up to Citi’s $386. [30]
How to read this: GE stock near $300 implies the market is already pricing in substantial operational execution. The more aggressive targets (mid-to-high $300s) generally assume GE sustains strong services growth, avoids major supply-chain slippage, and continues to lift long-term earnings power.
Key dates and “next catalysts” investors are watching into early 2026
If you’re following GE Aerospace stock into the new year, several calendar items are now “hard catalysts”:
- Ex-dividend date:Dec. 29, 2025 [31]
- Dividend amount:$0.36 per share; payable Jan. 26, 2026 to holders of record Dec. 29, 2025 [32]
- FAA AD effective date (LEAP‑1A inspections):Dec. 29, 2025 [33]
- GE Aerospace Q4 2025 earnings webcast:Jan. 22, 2026 (7:30 a.m. ET) [34]
Between now and that January earnings event, investors will likely focus on any incremental signals about:
- LEAP supply chain and delivery cadence
- shop visit volumes and pricing in the aftermarket
- defense propulsion order flow
- the pace at which GE can convert demand into actual shipments and cash generation
Bull case vs. bear case for GE Aerospace stock (Dec. 2025 framing)
Here’s how the debate looks right now based on the latest news and analyst framing:
The bull case
- Services flywheel: large installed base and recurring aftermarket revenue is central to multiple bullish research notes. [35]
- Fresh high-end targets: Citi’s $386 target reinforces a “premium multiple” narrative for best-in-class aerospace exposure. [36]
- Defense durability: LM2500 orders underscore long-cycle demand outside commercial aviation. [37]
- Commercial wins: Emirates’ GE9X deal supports long-duration services economics tied to widebody growth. [38]
The bear case
- Regulatory and durability headlines: FAA directives can create uncertainty, disruption, and potential cost debates—even if they sometimes increase maintenance demand. [39]
- Valuation risk: with the stock up strongly in 2025 and trading at a premium valuation in many dashboards, execution needs to stay strong to justify the multiple. [40]
- Not all analysts are bullish: BNP Paribas Exane’s underperform stance highlights that not everyone agrees GE’s growth and margin trajectory deserves a “best-in-class” valuation indefinitely. [41]
FAQ (SEO-friendly)
When is GE Aerospace’s next earnings date?
GE Aerospace lists its Q4 2025 earnings webcast for Jan. 22, 2026, according to the company’s investor relations events page. [42]
What dividend is GE Aerospace paying next?
GE Aerospace declared a $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, payable Jan. 26, 2026, with an ex-dividend date of Dec. 29, 2025. [43]
Why did GE Aerospace stock jump this week?
The most widely cited driver in current coverage is Citigroup’s Buy initiation and $386 price target, paired with broader bullish sentiment around aerospace/defense “megatrends.” [44]
Bottom line
As of Dec. 14, 2025, GE Aerospace stock is being pulled by a powerful mix of bullish Wall Street framing (Citi’s initiation), defense order momentum (LM2500), and a real-world regulatory catalyst (FAA’s LEAP‑1A inspection directive) that investors will track closely for implications on reliability, shop visits, and long-term services economics. [45]
The next major “tell” for the market is likely January 22, 2026, when GE hosts its Q4 earnings webcast—and investors look for confirmation that 2025 execution can translate into another year of delivery growth, services strength, and cash generation. [46]
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.tradingview.com, 3. www.federalregister.gov, 4. www.geaerospace.com, 5. www.investing.com, 6. www.marketwatch.com, 7. www.investors.com, 8. www.investors.com, 9. www.tradingview.com, 10. www.tradingview.com, 11. www.barrons.com, 12. www.federalregister.gov, 13. www.federalregister.gov, 14. www.federalregister.gov, 15. www.federalregister.gov, 16. www.federalregister.gov, 17. www.federalregister.gov, 18. www.geaerospace.com, 19. www.geaerospace.com, 20. www.geaerospace.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. www.marketwatch.com, 24. www.tradingview.com, 25. www.investing.com, 26. www.tipranks.com, 27. www.investing.com, 28. www.tipranks.com, 29. www.tipranks.com, 30. stockanalysis.com, 31. www.geaerospace.com, 32. www.geaerospace.com, 33. www.federalregister.gov, 34. www.geaerospace.com, 35. www.investing.com, 36. www.tradingview.com, 37. www.geaerospace.com, 38. www.geaerospace.com, 39. www.federalregister.gov, 40. www.investors.com, 41. www.tipranks.com, 42. www.geaerospace.com, 43. www.geaerospace.com, 44. www.tradingview.com, 45. www.tradingview.com, 46. www.geaerospace.com
