While still a massive operation with hundreds of facilities, GE’s stock is a mere fraction of its peak value. The company is no longer a media darling or an analyst favorite, its shares are no longer counted in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the once-generous dividend is virtually gone. A share of GE stock was once an essential component of the beginner investor’s portfolio, but is now perceived as a speculative bet; a generation ago, such a view would have bordered on market heresy.
