"The pending GE Capital asset sales, with virtually all benefits inuring to equity owners, taken together with high share repurchase activity and a high dividend payout in recent periods, and the liquidity-consuming Alstom acquisition that is still pending, reflect a noteworthy shift by GE to more aggressive financial policies." The rating outlook remains stable. GE shares surged 4.7% in premarket trade, and are up 1.8% in the year so far, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average has gained 0.8%.