GE to sell real estate holdings, sets $50bn share buyback

GE has been selling off its property investments globally as it focuses on improving earnings from sales of products such as jet engines, generators, electric grid gear and oilfield equipment.

Reuters/New YorkGeneral Electric Co said it plans to sell the bulk of its $30bn real estate portfolio over the next two years as it returns to its industrial roots, and has set a share buyback plan of up to $50bn – the second-largest ever. GE’s shares jumped about 7% in premarket trading yesterday after the company said there was potential to return more than $90bn to investors through 2018. Blackstone Group and Wells Fargo & Co are buying most of the assets of GE Capital Real Estate in a deal valued at about $23bn. GE said it had letters of intent to sell an additional $4bn of commercial real estate to other buyers that it did not identify. The total deal is the biggest in the commercial property market since Blackstone’s acquisition of office landlord Equity Office Properties Trust in 2007 for $39bn, including debt. GE has been selling off its property investments globally as it focuses on improving earnings from sales of products such as jet engines, generators, electric grid gear and oil field equipment. The company said yesterday it expected earnings from its aviation, power and water, and other industrial businesses to account for about 90% of total earnings by 2018. The units made up just over half of GE’s profit in 2013. GE said it would take after-tax charges of about $16bn related to the restructuring in the first quarter, of which about $12bn would be non-cash. Real estate accounted for about 7% of GE Capital’s total assets of $499bn related to continuing operations as of December 31. GE Capital will retain some financing “verticals” that relate to its industrial businesses, the company said.GE said it expected to reduce its share count to 8bn-8.5bn by 2018. GE had 10.06bn shares outstanding as of Jan 31. The repurchase programme, which will be partly funded by $35bn through dividends from GE Capital, is second biggest in history after Apple Inc’s $90bn plan.  GE’s shares were up 6.5% at $27.41 in premarket trading yesterday. The stock rose nearly 2% on Thursday after the Wall Street Journal first reported that the company was close to selling its real estate holdings.