Recent News: Commercial paper, stock performance, earnings, batterys, innovation, annual shareholder meeting, and Immelt quote

GE Can't Shed Those Unwanted Pounds
There was a time not so long ago when it appeared that General Electric (NYSE: GE) was an undervalued conglomerate composed of numerous strong parts. But almost by the day it's become more likely that the company may be little more than a hodgepodge of ill-fitting businesses -- many of which it can't unload -- that are headed collectively for goodness-knows-where...

Cos Participating In US Govt's Commercial Paper Program
The following is a list of companies that have registered to participate in a program to allow companies to sell commercial paper to the Federal Reserve at a rate set daily plus a fee. The Commercial Paper Funding Facility is aimed at boosting the commercial paper market, where companies secure funding for day-to- day needs, from rent to inventory....

Gee Whiz GE!
General Electric investors were shocked late Wednesday when reports began circulating that the conglomerate’s chief executive said the company was looking to maintain its 2009 profit at 2008 levels, giving the entire stock market a kick in the teeth just as trading was ending for the day....

GE boosts bets on battery technology
With a 1914 electric car displayed outside, General Electric last week hosted a symposium on batteries for transportation and the electricity grid....

GE CEO: Cos Must Innovate Amid Current Environment
General Electric Co. (GE) Chief Executive Jeffrey Immelt said Wednesday companies must continue to emphasize research and development during the current financial crisis. They will need to innovate, especially in areas such as healthcare, education and renewable energy, he said....

Ugly Quote For GE
General Electric investors got a roller-coaster ride Wednesday afternoon following reports that the conglomerate's chief executive was looking to maintain its 2009 profit at 2008 levels....

GE to Convene 2009 Shareowners Meeting in Orlando, Florida
GE announced today that it plans to hold its 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareowners on April 22, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. GE gathers shareowners in a different city each year so as to demonstrate the performance of a different business and to illustrate the diversity and strength of the Company's business portfolio...

Dow Jones to issue "clarification" on GE story-source
Dow Jones Newswires plans to issue a "clarification" of a story that it published on Wednesday afternoon about comments that General Electric Co's chief executive made about the company's 2009 financial position, according to a source familiar with the matter....

GE calls Dow Jones Immelt report 'inaccurate'
A spokesman for General Electric Co said on Wednesday that a Dow Jones report quoting Chief Executive Jeff Immelt as forecasting flat profit in 2009 was "completely out of context and inaccurate."...