General Electric Company is is a multinational American technology and services conglomerate, and the second largest company in the world by market capitalization. General Electric was listed one of the original 12 companies listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average, and after 111 years remains the only original company still on the Dow. General Electric is also rated the second most valuable brand in the world according the BrandZ.

GE operates in six segments, any of which, if spun-off as indepedent companies, would still be large enough to rank in the Fortune 500: Infrastructure, Commercial Finance, GE Money (formerly Consumer Finance), Healthcare, NBC Universal and Industrial. Infrastructure segment produces jet engines, and related replacement parts for use in military and commercial aircraft; wind turbines; gas and steam turbines and generators; oil and natural gas compressors and turbines; diesel-electric locomotives and parts; and productivity solutions for industrial and municipal water systems.GE's Commercial Finance arm, which accounts for a significant portion of the company's total revenues, offers a range of financial services including loans, leases and other financial services to customers, manufacturers, distributors and end-users for a variety of equipment and capital assets. GE Healthcare manufactures, sells and services a range of medical equipment, including equipment for magnetic resonance, computed tomograph, x-ray, patient monitoring, and diagnostic cardiology. NBC Universal, Inc. comprises GE's entertainment arm, making it the third largest media conglomerate in the world. NBC is principally engaged in the production and distribution of television programs and motion pictures; the operation of television broadcasting stations the ownership of several cable/satellite networks around the world; the operation of theme parks, and investment and programming activities in multimedia and the Internet. The Industrial segment produces and sells products including consumer appliances, industrial equipment and plastics, and related services. Industrial also provides asset management services for the transportation industry and integrated electrical equipment and systems used to distribute, protect and control energy and equipment. General Electric was founded in 1892 and employs more than 319,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the world. The comany is headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Since its inception, many companies have tried and failed to emulate GE's conglomerate business strategy. And yet, after 129 years of history, GE is still one of the most successful companies int he world, and an attractive stock to boot. GE is a tried-and-true payer of solid dividends, with the current yield set at about 3.4%. For the past few years, GE's earnings have far outpaced its share price (38% to 2%), which leads one to believe a correction is imminent. With an AAA credit rationg and $20 billion in cash on hand, GE also regularly engages in beneficial share buybacks, acquisitions, and divestitures if necessary. (Take, for instance, their recent spin off GE Plastics which has proven to be a very profitable move). Each of GE's segments is poised to succeed in their respective industries, but this is especially true of their very strong energy sector, which is looking to grow its revenues from $19 billion in 2007 to possibly as much as $30 billion in 2009, from new technologies and GE's unique position in the emerging clean energy market.