NEW YORK (Dec. 26, 2025) — As of 3:24 p.m. ET in New York, U.S. markets are trading in typically thin, post‑Christmas conditions, with investors balancing year‑end positioning against a still-strong 2025 tape and a packed macro calendar heading into the final sessions of the year. [1]
Against that backdrop, GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) — the jet-engine and aviation services leader — is slightly lower on the day but remains near recent highs after a powerful 2025 run that has been fueled by accelerating deliveries, resilient aftermarket demand, and a steady stream of upbeat analyst commentary.
GE Aerospace stock price today (real-time context)
At last check, GE Aerospace shares were trading at about $314.60, down $2.15 (‑0.68%) in Friday’s session, after ranging between $314.57 and $319.04 intraday.
Why the timing matters: Today’s trading has been described by multiple market observers as light-volume and prone to “exaggerated” moves around headlines and positioning — a setup that can amplify intraday swings for large, widely held names like GE. [2]
The market backdrop: post‑holiday trading near record highs
Wall Street has been hovering near record levels as investors look for an upbeat finish to 2025. Reuters notes the S&P 500 is close to the 7,000 milestone and on track for an extended run of monthly gains, even as leadership has rotated beyond mega-cap tech at times. [3]
At the same time, Friday’s session has featured the classic post‑holiday pattern: lower volume, fewer catalysts, and modest index moves, with AP describing a slight dip for the S&P 500 alongside generally subdued trading activity. [4]
Seasonality is also in focus. MarketWatch highlighted that the period commonly called the “Santa Claus rally” (last five trading days of the year plus the first two of the next) has historically leaned positive, though strategists caution that fundamentals ultimately matter far more than the calendar. [5]
The fundamental bull case for GE Aerospace: aftermarket + output
GE Aerospace’s stock narrative in 2025 has been dominated by two reinforcing engines:
- Aftermarket / services strength (higher-margin repairs, spare parts, shop visits)
- Improving production and deliveries across key platforms — especially the CFM LEAP family
In its Q3 2025 earnings release, GE Aerospace reported a quarter that management called “exceptional,” emphasizing revenue up 26%, EPS up 44%, and a decision to raise full‑year guidance “across the board.” [6]
The same release also pointed to operational traction: increased supplier material input and meaningful gains in both commercial and defense deliveries — a critical point because engine makers have spent the last two years battling supply chain constraints across castings, forgings, and precision components. [7]
Latest financial guidance: where GE Aerospace set the bar for 2025
One of the most important reference points for investors evaluating GE stock into year‑end is the company’s updated 2025 outlook (reaffirmed in October after strong execution):
GE Aerospace said it now expects for full‑year 2025:
- Adjusted EPS:$6.00–$6.20
- Free cash flow:$7.1–$7.3 billion
- Operating profit:$8.65–$8.85 billion
- Adjusted revenue growth:“high‑teens” [8]
That raised bar is central to why the stock has remained well bid: investors have been willing to pay up for a large industrial franchise that can pair services-driven cash flow with a long runway of fleet growth and maintenance intensity.
What GE’s executives say about 2026: momentum, with known headwinds
A key question for GE Aerospace stock heading into 2026 is whether 2025’s strength can persist as OEM build rates rise and fleets age.
In a published conference transcript from November, CFO Rahul Ghai described continuing momentum into 2026, saying commercial air traffic is holding up, the company has the backlog it needs, and LEAP deliveries are expected to grow next year. [9]
He also offered a nuanced takeaway that matters for valuation: GE sees services orders growth running ahead of departure growth, reflecting pent‑up demand and heavier workscopes as engines move into more intensive maintenance cycles. [10]
But there’s a clear headwind to watch: the transcript also discusses the GE9X widebody program (tied to Boeing’s 777X), including the prospect that 9X losses could increase as volumes rise — a reminder that not every incremental engine shipped is immediately margin-accretive. [11]
Newsflow and catalysts investors are watching right now
1) Dividend timing: the next ex‑dividend date is days away
GE Aerospace’s board declared a $0.36 per share dividend, payable Jan. 26, 2026 to shareholders of record Dec. 29, 2025, with the ex‑dividend date also Dec. 29, 2025. [12]
What it means for GE stock next week: dividend-related flows can influence price action into the ex‑date, especially in quieter year‑end tape conditions.
2) Next earnings: Q4 2025 results are scheduled for Jan. 22, 2026
GE Aerospace lists its Q4 2025 earnings webcast for Jan. 22, 2026 (7:30 a.m. EST). [13]
This is the next major “hard catalyst” for the stock — and with shares near highs, investors typically scrutinize:
- service growth durability
- LEAP delivery cadence
- margins vs. incremental investment
- cash conversion and working capital discipline
3) Big-ticket engine deals remain a tailwind
Order wins help support the long-duration services story, because engine selection often pulls through decades of maintenance revenue.
Most recently, Reuters reported Turkish Airlines finalized an agreement with GE Aerospace for engines, spares and services tied to 75 Boeing 787 aircraft (deliveries slated for 2029–2034). [14]
4) Supply chain investment: GE is spending to unlock capacity
In late November, GE Aerospace announced a $53 million investment to expand its West Jefferson, North Carolina facility to support engine production — explicitly positioning the move as helpful to customers eager for deliveries. [15]
That kind of capacity buildout is notable because the industry is still navigating bottlenecks, and higher OEM output targets (especially narrowbody) push pressure down the supply chain.
Aerospace production rates: GE’s opportunity is tied to Airbus and Boeing execution
GE’s LEAP family (via CFM with Safran) is deeply tied to the narrowbody ramp.
- Reuters has repeatedly covered how engine availability remains a swing factor for Airbus deliveries, with CFM frequently cited as a key constraint even as conditions improve. [16]
- FlightGlobal reported CFM delivered 1,240 LEAP engines in the first nine months of 2025, up year over year, and described ongoing discussions about delivery timing to support future Airbus production ambitions. [17]
- Reuters also reported Safran’s CEO saying progress had been made in catching up on engine delays, supporting Airbus’s delivery efforts. [18]
For GE Aerospace stock, the takeaway is straightforward: every incremental step-up in Airbus/Boeing production can translate into higher engine shipments today — and more services revenue over time — but only if the supply chain holds.
A near-term risk investors are debating: inspections and durability on LEAP
Late in 2025, FlightGlobal reported the FAA expanded inspection requirements related to LEAP‑1A engines after learning more engines may be susceptible to turbine blade cracks/failures due to dust exposure in certain operating environments. [19]
GE Aerospace has also been publicly emphasizing its push on durability work — including dust ingestion testing and upgrades — as part of its broader reliability roadmap. [20]
Why this matters for the stock: even if inspections don’t translate into a material financial impact, headlines around durability can affect:
- airline sentiment and shop-visit cadence
- cost assumptions and warranty-like exposure
- investor confidence in the pace of the narrowbody ramp
Analyst forecasts and price targets: what Wall Street is signaling
While price targets are not guarantees, they’re useful for understanding how analysts are framing the risk/reward after the stock’s strong run.
- MarketWatch data shows a wide target range for GE Aerospace, with targets spanning roughly $255 (low) to $394 (high) and a median around $350, reflecting bullishness but also dispersion typical of a stock near highs. [21]
- Investor’s Business Daily reported Citi initiated coverage with a “buy” rating, arguing GE could potentially reach a $1 trillion market capitalization within five years — an aggressive long-term framing that helped fuel near-term momentum. [22]
- Other consensus aggregators show targets clustering in the mid‑$300s with highs into the $380s, though the exact sample and methodology varies by provider. [23]
How to read this as an investor: the market is broadly pricing GE as a premium industrial compounder — but that premium can be sensitive to any signs that:
- services growth is normalizing faster than expected
- supply chain improvements stall
- LEAP durability headlines intensify
- widebody program economics worsen
If you’re investing around the next session: what to watch into the close and next week
Because the NYSE is open right now, the immediate focus is on where GE closes into the final minutes of a low-liquidity session.
If you’re positioning for the next sessions (or reading this after-hours), here are the most practical near-term watch items:
- Year-end flows and thin liquidity
Reuters has warned that light volumes can exaggerate price moves, especially as funds rebalance or harvest gains/losses into year-end. [24] - Macro calendar: Fed minutes next week
Investors remain hyper-focused on the rate path; Reuters notes the Fed has cut 75 bps over the last three meetings of 2025, with minutes due next week that could influence yields and equity multiples. [25] - Dividend mechanics (Dec. 29 ex-dividend)
Investors seeking the dividend must own shares before the ex‑dividend date; after that, the stock typically reflects the dividend adjustment. [26] - Technical level sensitivity near prior highs
The stock has traded close to its recent highs in late December, which can increase headline sensitivity (upgrades/downgrades, order headlines, production chatter). [27] - Watch the “real economy” signals tied to GE’s customers
GE is effectively a leveraged play on airline utilization, aircraft deliveries, and the maintenance cycle. Any credible updates on Airbus/Boeing rates or engine availability can move sentiment quickly. [28]
Bottom line on GE Aerospace stock heading into 2026
With GE Aerospace trading near recent highs and the broader market still pressing record territory into year-end, the stock is being treated as a core beneficiary of the commercial aerospace recovery and the high-margin services cycle — reinforced by guidance that calls for $7.1–$7.3 billion in free cash flow and $6.00–$6.20 adjusted EPS in 2025. [29]
The key debate for investors now is not whether 2025 was strong — it was — but whether 2026 becomes:
- a continuation year (services momentum + improving deliveries), or
- a normalization year (growth moderates, durability/supply chain noise rises, and valuation becomes harder to defend)
Either way, the next inflection points are clear: the Dec. 29 ex‑dividend date, and then Q4 earnings on Jan. 22, 2026. [30]
References
1. apnews.com, 2. apnews.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. apnews.com, 5. www.marketwatch.com, 6. www.geaerospace.com, 7. www.geaerospace.com, 8. www.geaerospace.com, 9. www.geaerospace.com, 10. www.geaerospace.com, 11. www.geaerospace.com, 12. www.geaerospace.com, 13. www.geaerospace.com, 14. www.reuters.com, 15. www.geaerospace.com, 16. www.reuters.com, 17. www.flightglobal.com, 18. www.reuters.com, 19. www.flightglobal.com, 20. www.geaerospace.com, 21. www.marketwatch.com, 22. www.investors.com, 23. www.tipranks.com, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.reuters.com, 26. www.geaerospace.com, 27. www.marketwatch.com, 28. www.reuters.com, 29. www.geaerospace.com, 30. www.geaerospace.com
