General Electric Company, operating as GE Aerospace, raised its 2026 adjusted earnings and free cash flow forecasts after third-quarter orders jumped 49%, even as cash from operating activities declined.
In an Oct. 20 filing with the SEC, GE Aerospace reported $19 billion in orders for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The company said its higher full-year guidance reflected results so far this year and its fourth-quarter outlook.
GE Aerospace now expects adjusted earnings of $8 to $8.10 per share, up from its previous range of $7.65 to $7.85. It raised its operating profit forecast to $10.9 billion to $11 billion from $10.55 billion to $10.75 billion. Both forecasts use non-GAAP measures.
The company also increased its 2026 free cash flow forecast to $9.1 billion to $9.4 billion from $8.9 billion to $9.2 billion.
Quarterly revenue rose 16% to $14.1 billion under standard accounting rules, while profit increased 12% to $2.8 billion. Cash from operating activities fell 14% to $2.2 billion.
Commercial Engines & Services generated $15.3 billion in orders, up 58%, and $10.3 billion in revenue, up 21%. The division accounted for most of the company’s quarterly order total.
The segment reported $2.9 billion in operating profit, up 21%, while its margin fell 10 basis points. GE Aerospace attributed the profit gain to service volume and pricing, and the margin decline to inflation and business mix.
GE Aerospace said it secured more than 1,800 engine commitments at Farnborough, including what it described as its largest announced LEAP agreement. The company was among those covered in an earlier EconoTimes preview of four U.S. aerospace and defense earnings reports.
Chairman and CEO H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., said GE Aerospace expects commercial services to grow at a low-double-digit rate in 2027. He cited a backlog of more than $170 billion in support of that outlook.
