General Electric's Q1 2018 Results: Good Enough?

Summary Points:

- General Electric reported better-than-expected Q1 2018 adjusted earnings but some market pundits were not impressed.

- This company's turnaround will take years but the stock is finally starting to look attractively valued.

- I plan to stay long General Electric, but an investment in this industrial conglomerate does not come without risks.

General Electric ($GE) reported Q1 2018 financial results and, as expected, the financial community's reactions were mixed (see here and here, both were articles from TheStreet.com). The market, however, was pleased - that is, GE shares finished the trading day up almost 4% on the better-than-expected results. The one-day stock performance is great and all, but let's not forget that GE shares are still down by over 16% so far in 2018.

GE's Q1 2018 results were nothing to write home about but, in my opinion, improvements in several key metrics (will discuss below), coupled with the strength shown by the 2 key operating segments (Aviation & Healthcare), were good enough to keep the market happy for at least the time being.