BA vs GE

For growth investors, The Boeing Company (BA) is the stronger pick with 34.

5% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 18. 5% for GE Aerospace (GE). GE Aerospace (GE) offers the better valuation at 37. 5x trailing P/E (40. 4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate The Boeing Company (BA) a "Buy" — based on 54 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, GE Aerospace (GE) is the cheapest at 37.

5x versus The Boeing Company at 92. 7x. On forward P/E, GE Aerospace is actually cheaper at 40. 4x.

Over the past 5 years, GE Aerospace (GE) delivered a total return of +370.

5%, compared to +0. 1% for The Boeing Company (BA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GE returned +121. 3% versus BA's +92. 1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), The Boeing Company (BA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

97β versus GE Aerospace's 1. 14β — meaning GE is approximately 18% more volatile than BA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, GE Aerospace (GE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 108% versus 10% for The Boeing Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), The Boeing Company (BA) is pulling ahead at 34.

5% versus 18. 5% for GE Aerospace (GE). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: The Boeing Company grew EPS 113. 5% year-over-year, compared to 36. 2% for GE Aerospace. Over a 3-year CAGR, GE leads at 16. 3% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

GE Aerospace (GE) is the more profitable company, earning 19.

0% net margin versus 2. 5% for The Boeing Company — meaning it keeps 19. 0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GE leads at 19. 1% versus -6. 1% for BA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GE leads at 36. 8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, GE Aerospace (GE) trades at 40.

4x forward P/E versus 4955. 4x for The Boeing Company — 4914. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for GE: 26. 3% to $386. 20.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

GE Aerospace (GE) offers the highest yield at 0. 4%, versus 0. 2% for The Boeing Company (BA).

For long-horizon retirement investors, The Boeing Company (BA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

97)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (BA: +92. 1%, GE: +121. 3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Industrials sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.