What if you could own a piece of America’s future, one that pays you steady income and is growing fast as the country pushes for more manufacturing on U.S. soil? In 2025, GE Aerospace (GE) is working to check those boxes, helping it to align with President Donald Trump’s “America First” economic plans. This has helped GE stock hold up despite global challenges and beat Wall Street’s expectations with an 11% jump in revenue in just the first quarter.

This growth is happening while the world economy is facing big changes.

Trump’s “America First” trade policy has brought in the highest U.S. tariffs in more than a hundred years, changing how countries trade and making supply chains more complicated. Since April 2025, almost all imports face new tariffs, pushing the U.S. tariff rate to levels not seen since the Great Depression. 

This has led to quick pushback from other countries and a lot of uncertainty in the global economy. Because of this, the International Monetary Fund cut its 2025 global growth forecast to just 2.8%, warning that these tariffs and unpredictable policies could slow down economies everywhere. 

However, these changes are pushing U.S. companies to invest more at home. GE Aerospace is responding by putting nearly $1 billion into U.S. manufacturing and promising to hire thousands of American workers.

As the focus in the U.S. shifts to building and securing more at home, is GE Aerospace the top “Strong Buy” dividend stock for an America First world? Let’s dive in.

GE’s Financial Strength in Focus

GE Aerospace (GE) builds jet engines and systems for both commercial and military planes, helping drive America’s manufacturing comeback. For people who want steady income, GE pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share, which works out to a yield of 0.7%. 

The stock price is up 17.9% so far this year and up 23.5% over the last 52 weeks.

Looking at the numbers, GE Aerospace trades at a price-earnings ratio of about 35.1x, with a market capitalization near $208 billion and a PEG ratio of 2.35x. This shows that investors are willing to pay more for a company that keeps delivering steady growth and earnings.

On April 22, 2025, GE Aerospace shared strong results for the first quarter. Orders jumped 12% to $12.3 billion, and revenue grew 11% to $9.9 billion (with adjusted revenue at $9.0 billion, also up 11%). Profit increased 13% to $2.2 billion, and operating profit rose 38% to $2.1 billion. The company’s profit margin was 22.6%, and its operating profit margin was 23.8%, both better than last year. 

Earnings per share reached $1.83, up 16%, and adjusted EPS was $1.49 — a 60% jump that easily beat what analysts expected. Even though cash from operating activities and free cash flow dropped by 5% and 14%, GE still managed to deliver strong earnings in a tough environment.

A big part of this success comes from GE’s FLIGHT DECK strategy, which helped boost materials from suppliers by 8% and tackle supply chain issues. This led to a 17% rise in Commercial Engines & Services revenue and a 5% increase in Defense. 

GE also finished a second round of testing on high-pressure turbine blades for its RISE program, which is important for making engines more efficient and durable. By running its operations smarter, using existing programs, and making smart pricing decisions, GE is handling tariffs and global supply problems better than most.

Growth Drivers Behind GE’s U.S. Manufacturing Surge

GE Aerospace’s big push in U.S. manufacturing comes down to smart investments and new ideas that fit right in with the “America First” approach. In March 2025, the company said it would spend nearly $1 billion on its American factories and supply chain — almost twice as much as last year. 

About $500 million of this is set aside to boost engine production, especially for the CFM LEAP engine, which powers popular planes like the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo. With air travel picking up and airlines wanting newer, more efficient planes, GE is making sure it can keep up with all the orders.

A lot of this money is going into new ways of making things, like 3D printing and using ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). These materials are lighter and stronger than regular metals and can handle much higher heat, which is important for building better engines. 

Factories in places like Auburn and Huntsville, Alabama, and Asheville, North Carolina, are getting millions for new equipment and upgrades so they can make these advanced parts. Engines like the CFM RISE, which use these new materials, could be up to 20% more fuel efficient, helping airlines save money and cut emissions.

GE isn’t just focused on machines — it’s also hiring. The company plans to bring on 5,000 new U.S. workers in 2025 for jobs in manufacturing and engineering. This will help GE keep up with growing demand and keep America ahead in aerospace technology. 

On the defense side, GE landed a $5 billion contract with the U.S. Air Force to supply engines for F-15 and F-16 jets, showing just how important the company is to the military. All these moves together show that GE Aerospace is not just growing — it’s making itself a key part of America’s manufacturing future.

What Top Analysts See in GE’s American Resurgence

Top analysts are very positive about GE Aerospace’s comeback in the U.S., and the recent numbers show why. After a strong first quarter — where earnings per share hit $1.49 and revenue reached $9.9 billion — GE stuck with its full-year outlook. 

The company expects earnings per share for 2025 to land between $5.10 and $5.45, with operating profit between $7.8 billion and $8.2 billion, and free cash flow in the range of $6.3 billion to $6.8 billion. 

For its Commercial Engines & Services business, GE is looking for revenue growth in the mid-teens, thanks to solid gains in both services and equipment. Defense & Propulsion Technologies is expected to see mid- to high-single-digit revenue growth and up to $1.3 billion in profit.

Wall Street agrees with this upbeat view. Analysts who cover GE Aerospace rate it a “Strong Buy,” and the average price target is $227.00. That implies 15% upside potential, which is pretty appealing for a big, steady company in a growing sector. 

Analysts like GE’s huge $140 billion-plus backlog, its strong performance in commercial services, and the boost from nearly $1 billion in new U.S. manufacturing investments as reasons to expect more growth ahead.

Conclusion

In a world where “America First” is now more than just a slogan, GE Aerospace is ticking all the right boxes — strong financials, big investments in U.S. manufacturing, a reliable dividend, and a resounding “Strong Buy” from Wall Street. With analysts calling for solid 15% upside and institutional investors piling in, it’s hard to argue against GE’s momentum. If you’re looking for a stock that’s set to ride the next wave of American industrial growth, GE Aerospace looks primed to keep climbing from here.

On the date of publication, Ebube Jones did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.