GE Aerospace Stock (NYSE: GE) News Today: Citi’s $386 Target, FAA LEAP Inspections, Navy Orders, and What to Watch Into 2026

GE Aerospace stock is back in the market’s spotlight heading into mid-December, trading around $299.81 and up roughly 4% versus the prior close in the latest available quote.

That move isn’t happening in a vacuum. Over the past several days, GE has landed fresh bullish Wall Street coverage, surfaced in defense-related headlines, and found itself indirectly tied to a regulatory development affecting the CFM LEAP engine family—one of the most important programs in modern commercial aviation.

Below is what’s driving GE Aerospace stock right now, how analysts are framing upside (and limits), and what investors will be watching as GE approaches its next earnings report and dividend dates.

What’s moving GE Aerospace stock right now

1) Citi launches coverage: “Buy,” $386 target, trillion-dollar talk

One of the biggest near-term catalysts is Citigroup’s new coverage. Citi initiated GE Aerospace with a Buy rating and a $386 price target, and argued GE could potentially reach a $1 trillion market cap within about five years—a narrative that tends to travel fast in market headlines. ^[1]

Investor’s Business Daily also notes GE Aerospace has been up sharply in 2025 (around 80% year-to-date in that report), and highlighted the stock’s technical setup (including a rebound above its 50-day moving average). ^[2]

Why this matters: even when fundamentals don’t change overnight, a high-profile initiation can reset the “default conversation” around a stock—especially a mega-cap industrial name that’s increasingly treated like a premium aerospace compounder rather than an old-line conglomerate.

2) Defense + marine propulsion: LM2500 orders for U.S. Navy destroyers

GE Aerospace announced that its Marine Engines & Systems business received orders to supply eight LM2500 marine gas turbine engines for the U.S. Navy’s next two Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers—the future USS Intrepid (DDG 145) and USS Robert Kerrey (DDG 146). ^[3]

A market recap explaining the stock’s move also pointed to this contract win as a driver behind the recent jump in GE shares. ^[4]

Why this matters: while commercial jet engines tend to dominate the GE Aerospace story, defense and marine propulsion contracts can add “ballast”—more stable demand, longer program timelines, and less sensitivity to passenger travel cycles.

3) FAA action tied to LEAP-1A: inspection requirements after blade-crack findings

The other major headline adjacency is regulatory: the FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) covering certain CFM LEAP-1A engine models, driven by reports of two in-flight shutdowns and findings of cracks in high-pressure turbine (HPT) rotor stage 1 blades. The AD calls for initial and repetitive borescope inspections, and depending on inspection results, could require shorter intervals or blade replacement. ^[5]

Separate industry coverage reported the FAA expanding dust-related inspection requirements to LEAP-1A engines operated in South Asia, reflecting broader concerns about operating environments accelerating wear. ^[6]

Why this matters for GE stock: LEAP is produced by CFM International, the GE Aerospace–Safran joint venture, and it is one of the most important narrowbody engine platforms in the world. FAA directives don’t automatically translate into a financial hit for GE, but they can influence:

maintenance shop visit volumes and timing,
airline operational disruption risk (which can affect customer sentiment),
and near-term narrative risk if headlines imply “engine issues,” even when mitigations are routine and engineered into maintenance programs.

The “big picture” business backdrop investors are buying into

Aftermarket strength remains the engine inside the engine story

GE’s most powerful long-cycle lever isn’t just selling new engines—it’s servicing them for decades.

In its October update, GE Aerospace raised its 2025 profit forecast, pointing to robust aftermarket demand and improvement in operational constraints. ^[7]

This is the core compounding logic behind premium aerospace valuations: a growing installed base of engines generates recurring, high-value maintenance revenue—often less volatile than original equipment production once fleets are flying.

Commercial demand looks resilient heading into 2026

The airline industry’s profit outlook can be a useful “macro read-through” for engine makers. Reuters reported that global airline trade group IATA expects record profits next year, even with ongoing supply-chain constraints. ^[8]

Translation: airlines that are profitable generally fly more, keep aircraft in service longer, and prioritize maintenance/availability—conditions that tend to support the services side of GE Aerospace.

Major customer deals continue to stack up

GE’s commercial narrative also gets reinforced by big fleet commitments.

For example, Reuters reported that Turkish Airlines reached an agreement with GE Aerospace for engines, spare engines, and maintenance services tied to 75 Boeing 787 aircraft it is buying. ^[9]

These kinds of agreements matter not just for the initial sale, but because they can attach long-duration services revenue and lock in customer relationships.

GE Aerospace stock forecasts: what Wall Street expects now

Analyst forecasts move, disagree, and occasionally contradict themselves (analysts are people, not oracles), but the current spread is still useful because it shows the market’s debate about valuation.

MarketWatch’s analyst compilation lists:

High price target:$386
Median:$350
Low:$255
Average:$341
Referenced current price:$288.42 (at the time shown) ^[10]

What that implies: the Street’s “middle” case still leans bullish from late-2025 levels, but the low target is a reminder that not every analyst buys the premium multiple—and that downside cases often come down to execution risk, cyclical concerns, or a simple valuation argument (“great company, pricey stock”).

GE’s next key dates: earnings and dividend calendar

Earnings: January 22, 2026 (confirmed webcast listing)

GE Aerospace’s investor relations calendar lists its 4th Quarter 2025 Earnings Webcast for January 22, 2026 (7:30 am–8:20 am EST). ^[11]

This matters because—fairly or not—GE stock can trade more on guidance and service-margin commentary than on the quarter’s headline EPS.

Topics likely to dominate the call:

LEAP deliveries and shop visit capacity,
pricing and contract mix in services,
supply chain normalization (or lack thereof),
defense and marine momentum,
and 2026 outlook framing.

Dividend: $0.36 declared; ex-dividend date Dec. 29, 2025

GE Aerospace declared a $0.36 per share dividend payable January 26, 2026, with ex-dividend date December 29, 2025. ^[12]

The yield is not the core of the GE thesis, but the dividend schedule can affect short-term trading flows around the ex-date.

Risks investors should not hand-wave away

Even if you’re bullish, aerospace is the kind of industry that punishes lazy optimism. Key risks for GE Aerospace stock include:

Regulatory and reliability headlines (especially around LEAP)

FAA directives like the LEAP-1A inspection rule are part of aviation’s safety system doing its job—but they can still trigger:

airline scrutiny,
potential cost disputes over inspections/parts,
and sentiment-driven volatility. ^[13]

Supply chain and production constraints remain a sector-wide problem

Even competitors are still navigating production/maintenance bottlenecks. Reuters reported Pratt & Whitney is in talks with Airbus about engine needs beyond 2025 as Airbus seeks higher A320neo output, underscoring that engine supply and shop capacity remain strategic pressure points across the industry. ^[14]

Defense spending is supportive—but geopolitics is messy

GE Aerospace sits in the defense ecosystem in ways that can be positive for revenue visibility. Reuters reported the U.S. State Department approved a potential $455 million F-16 sustainment sale to Bahrain, listing General Electric Aerospace among the principal contractors. ^[15]

But defense budgets, program timing, and geopolitics can shift—and “approved” is not the same thing as fully executed revenue.

Bottom line on GE Aerospace stock on December 15, 2025

GE Aerospace stock is trading near the psychologically important $300 level as the market digests a cluster of catalysts: a major bullish analyst initiation (Citi), tangible defense/marine order flow (LM2500 for U.S. Navy destroyers), and an FAA-driven LEAP headline that investors will interpret through the lens of operational and aftermarket impact. ^[16]

The bull case remains clean and powerful: a massive installed base, durable services economics, and commercial aviation demand that still looks robust heading into 2026. ^[17]

The bear case isn’t “GE is broken.” It’s more subtle—and more dangerous: execution friction (supply chain + shop capacity), headline risk (engine inspection directives), and valuation gravity if the market decides the stock is priced for perfection. ^[18]