If You Invested $1,000 in Boeing or GE 5 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today

Group 1 - Boeing (BA) returned 8.41% over five years with a debt of $54.1 billion, while GE Aerospace (GE) returned +382.62% and the S&P 500 returned +71.37% over the same period [1] - Boeing faced multiple crises including the 737 MAX grounding, COVID-19 impact, supply chain issues, and a machinists' strike, leading to negative free cash flow and a suspended dividend [1] - GE transformed by spinning off its healthcare and energy businesses, resulting in a focused aerospace engine maker with $45.86 billion in revenue for 2025, up 18.48%, and free cash flow of $7.69 billion, up 109% year over year [1] Group 2 - A $1,000 investment in Boeing five years ago would have decreased to $916, while the same investment in GE Aerospace would have increased to $4,826 [1] - Boeing's 10-year return was $1,993 (+99.30%), while GE's was $2,406 (+140.57%), both underperforming the S&P 500 over the same period [1] - GE Aerospace has a $190 billion backlog and projected free cash flow of $8.0 billion to $8.4 billion for 2026, indicating strong future visibility [1] Group 3 - Boeing's forward P/E is approximately 164x, reflecting market expectations for a recovery that has not yet fully materialized, while GE's trailing P/E is around 40x [1] - The bear case for Boeing includes its significant debt of $54 billion, which limits operational flexibility if production issues arise [1] - GE's dividend was slashed to $0.01 per quarter in 2020 but has since been rebuilt to $0.36 per quarter in 2025, exceeding pre-restructuring levels [1]