Exhibit 99

PRESS RELEASE

GE Delivers Record Financial Performance in Fourth Quarter 2004, With 18% Revenue Growth, 18% Earnings Growth and $.51 EPS;

Full-Year Cash Flow Increases 18% to $15.2 Billion

Fairfield, Conn., January 21, 2005 -- GE achieved record fourth-quarter revenues of $43.7 billion, up 18% from fourth quarter 2003, and record fourth-quarter earnings of $5.4 billion, also up 18%, the company announced today. Full-year 2004 earnings were $16.6 billion, up 6% from 2003 earnings before required accounting changes. Cash flow from GE’s operating activities (CFOA) in 2004 increased 18% to $15.2 billion.

“GE had a tremendous fourth quarter and an excellent 2004, as we completed our strategic repositioning and returned to double-digit earnings growth in the quarter,” said GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt.

“In the fourth quarter, nine of our 11 businesses delivered double-digit earnings growth. Industrial sales grew 19%, and our key financial services businesses ended the year with assets up 20% and improved overall portfolio quality. Total orders for the quarter increased 15% over last year, with growth across the board. We are benefiting from strong execution of our growth initiatives and an excellent global economy.

”For the year, nine of our 11 businesses delivered at least double-digit earnings growth and we increased CFOA to $15.2 billion. We made major progress on our portfolio, exceeding our synergy goals for the Amersham and Universal acquisitions, adding capabilities to our water, security and key financial services units, and executing several dispositions, including the initial public offering of Genworth and the sale of 60% of Gecis, our global business processing operation. Revenues from our growth initiatives -- in services and our new platforms, such as security and water -- grew 12% and 17% respectively, and global revenues increased 16%.

“As a result, we’re going into 2005 with excellent momentum,” Immelt said. “We are very confident about achieving 10-15% earnings growth with strong cash flow growth and sustaining this growth into 2006 as well.”

GE will discuss preliminary fourth-quarter and full-year results on a conference call and Webcast to be held at 8:30 a.m. ET today. Call information is available at www.ge.com/investor, and related charts will be posted there prior to the call.


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Highlights of preliminary fourth-quarter and full-year 2004 results:

•

Fourth-quarter earnings were a record $5.378 billion, up 18% from $4.560 billion in fourth quarter 2003. Earnings per share (EPS) were $.51, up 13% from last year’s $.45. Nine of GE’s 11 businesses - Advanced Materials, Commercial Finance, Consumer Finance, Consumer & Industrial, Equipment & Other Services, Healthcare, Infrastructure, NBC Universal and Transportation - contributed double-digit earnings growth. Earnings of the Insurance segment declined as a result of increases in loss reserves for policies written in prior years and the disposition of several businesses.

•

Fourth-quarter revenues were a record $43.7 billion, up 18% over $37.0 billion in fourth quarter 2003. Industrial sales increased 19% to $24.6 billion, reflecting the impact of acquisitions, solid core growth and lower sales at GE Energy. Financial services revenues rose 16% over last year to $19.2 billion.

•

Full-year 2004 earnings were a record $16.6 billion, up 6% from $15.6 billion before required accounting changes in 2003, with EPS of $1.59 up 3% from last year’s comparable $1.55. Nine of GE’s 11 businesses contributed at least double-digit earnings growth for the year. Net earnings for 2004 of $16.6 billion were 11% higher than $15.0 billion in 2003, which reflected charges of $587 million ($.06 per share) for the cumulative effects of required accounting changes to consolidate special purpose entities and to record asset retirement obligations. Net 2004 EPS of $1.59 were up 7% from $1.49 last year.

•

Full-year revenues grew 14% to $152.4 billion. Industrial sales rose 17% to $82.2 billion, reflecting the impact of acquisitions, solid core growth and lower sales at GE Energy. Financial services revenues increased 10% to $70.8 billion, including the effects of exiting certain Insurance businesses.

•	Cash generated from GE’s operating activities in 2004 totaled $15.2 billion, up 18% from $12.9 billion last year, reflecting a 27% increase in CFOA from industrial businesses and lower GE Capital Services dividends, due principally to lower proceeds from business dispositions.

”GE is in great shape,” Immelt said. “We’ve got great businesses positioned in the right markets with very strong teams driving powerful initiatives. With a great pipeline of technology, billions in contractual services agreements, a rigorous focus on customers and the ability to deliver all of this globally, we are now focused on driving strong organic growth and delivering consistent double-digit growth in earnings and cash flow, with expanding returns on capital.

“This is a great time for GE.”


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Fourth Quarter 2004 Business Highlights

Transportation

•	Received $3.6 billion of new aircraft engine services contracts from customers including Ryanair, Emirates and Alaska Airlines, and locomotive services agreements worth more than $0.4 billion, including the first GE Evolution Series™ services contracts.

•	Received commercial aircraft engine orders totaling $0.6 billion from customers including Embraer, Bombardier and Lufthansa.

•	Received $1.1 billion in Rail orders, including orders for 231 locomotives, of which 140 are GE Evolution Series locomotives, and the first order from the China Ministry of Rail in more than 19 years, for locomotives, parts, signaling and train control systems.

•	Completed more than 4.5 million miles of cumulative active field service for Evolution Series pre-production units, with availability at 97%; completed preparations and commenced full commercial production in January 2005, with a backlog of more than 1,200 units for multi-year delivery.

•	Launched the Engine Exchange program for the CFM56-3 aircraft engine under which Transportation provides “loaner” engines to customers while servicing their own.

•	Completed the first site implementation, at Norfolk Southern Railroad, of Rail’s Precision Dispatch System, which improves on-time performance and enables more efficient use of a railroad’s assets.

Healthcare

•	Increased total orders 25% over fourth quarter 2003 to $4.4 billion, driven by 9% growth in services, 15% growth in ultrasound and $0.8 billion in Biosciences.

•	Received strong orders for new products, including the Volume CT (computed tomography) scanner, the 3T MR (magnetic resonance) scanner, and the Vivid I™ portable ultrasound.

•	Signed a $200 million-plus agreement in the U.K. with Fujitsu Services Ltd., to provide Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) technology that will enable the conversion of hospitals and clinics to a new digital system for storing, retrieving and displaying patients’ medical images.

•	Launched HDMR, the world’s first high-definition magnetic resonance (MR) system, which provides unprecedented image clarity for patients such as Parkinson’s sufferers.

•	Received FDA approval for InSightec’s ExAblate 2000, which combines GE’s MR imaging with focused ultrasound to provide non-invasive treatment of uterine fibroids (GE is an equity shareholder in InSightec).

•	Launched LOGIQBook XP, a 10-lb., full-featured, easy-to-use ultrasound system with advanced connectivity that enables clinicians to scan patients virtually anywhere -- even in trauma and surgical settings.

Energy

•	Signed new contractual service agreements totaling $1.1 billion, increasing the number of gas turbines covered by 8% and the number of sites by 4% since the end of 2003.

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•	Increased orders for oil and gas equipment 34% to $1.5 billion, including a $95 million contract for turbines, generator and compressor equipment for the latest expansion of the RasGas (II) facility owned by Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Ltd. in the State of Qatar.

•

Shipped 316 wind turbines in the quarter and received orders for 1,243 1.5-megawatt wind turbines, including the final 100 of a 207-turbine order from MidAmerican Energy Company for its 310.5-megawatt project in Iowa that, when completed this year, will be among the world's largest wind generation facilities.

•	Signed a letter of intent with Calpine Corporation for the joint construction of a power plant based on the 60-Hz H System™, GE's most advanced gas turbine technology.

•	Signed a letter of intent with Cinergy/PSI and Bechtel Corporation to study the feasibility of constructing a commercial Cleaner Coal™ generating station.

•	Received global equipment orders to supply a 1,135-megawatt combined-cycle power plant in Mexico, the first installation of GE's advanced gas turbine technology in Egypt, and hydroelectric equipment for three facilities in China.

•	Shipped 28 heavy-duty gas turbines from Greenville, S.C., and Belfort, France in the quarter compared with 35 in fourth quarter 2003.

Commercial Finance

•

Expanded its transportation finance capabilities with an agreement to acquire $4.2 billion in assets from CitiCapital's Transportation Financial Services Group, serving about 49,000 customers across the U.S. and Canada and financing approximately 196,000 heavy- and medium-duty commercial trucks and trailers.

•	Through CCE Holdings, a joint venture with Southern Union, completed the $2.4 billion acquisition of CrossCountry Energy, the holding company formed from Enron's remaining U.S. gas pipelines.

•	Completed a global vendor financing agreement with Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Imaging Group, through which the manufacturer will offer its customers a full range of GE equipment financing options, including operating and capital leases, loans and customized financing programs.

•

Signed an agreement for the restructuring of NMB-Heller, its working-capital finance joint venture with ING, under which Commercial Finance will buy ING’s 50% stake in Heller GmbH, NMB-Heller’s German unit, broadening its range of financing solutions for German customers and increasing its presence in that country.

Consumer Finance

•	Completed the acquisition of Australian Financial Investments Group (including the Wizard Home Loans brand and distribution network), strengthening GE's presence in the Australian mortgage industry.

•

Completed the purchase of substantially all the assets of Dillard's National Bank, including its private label credit card business, comprising the sixth-largest in-house private label credit card program in the United States and adding 5.5 million active card members to Consumer Finance's customer base.

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•	Teamed with SAM'S CLUB to launch the new Business All-In-One Card for SAM'S CLUB Business Members and Business Plus Members throughout the United States.

•	Launched Kawasaki Motors Retail Finance with Canadian Kawasaki Motors, which will allow Kawasaki dealers in Canada to offer consumers special credit promotions and long-term financing for motorcycles, ATVs, utility vehicles and personal watercraft.

•	Signed a multi-year agreement to extend its retail credit card program with The Men's Wearhouse, representing nearly 700,000 cardholders.

NBC Universal

•	Garnered a domestic box office total of $225 million in the first four weeks of theatrical release with Universal Pictures’ Meet the Fockers, surpassing the entire box office gross of its predecessor, Meet the Parents, by 40%.

•	Generated $72 million at the domestic box office for Ray, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture and the Golden Globe award for Best Actor.

•	Launched Joey, the quarter’s top-ranking new comedy in the key demographic of adults 18-49; continued NBC's late-night leadership, with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien leading their respective competitors among adults 18-49 by 25% and 57% respectively.

•	Completed the year with Bravo ranking as the basic cable entertainment network with the highest concentration of affluent viewers, and with Telemundo ranking as the fastest-growing network for U.S. Hispanics in primetime among adults 18-49.

•	Shipped 70 million DVDs and VHS units in the quarter, led by the strength of Van Helsing, The Chronicles of Riddick and The Bourne Supremacy.

•	Launched NBC Weather Plus, the nation's first all-digital broadcast network, which provides local weather, news and information around the clock.

Infrastructure

•	Announced two strategic acquisitions -- Ionics, a global leader in desalination, and Edwards Systems Technology’s fire detection systems business -- and completed a third, InVision Technologies, positioning Infrastructure for growth in the water and security industries.

•	Received certification from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration of its X-ray diffraction (XRD) system for identifying the chemical signatures of explosives on passenger-checked baggage, the first new technology certified by the TSA since 1994.

•	Successfully completed commercial testing for its tamper-evident sea container cargo-security system, which uses RFID (radio frequency identification) wireless technology embedded in a container’s walls to determine if it has been breached during transport.

•	Announced a strategic partnership with China Telecom, the leading company in the world’s largest telecommunications market, to create a new generation of advanced home security technology that will allow residents of China to communicate with their homes through the Internet and cellular phones.

Advanced Materials

•	Announced with Goodyear the new Assurance® tire, with all-weather performance characteristics based on GE's NXT™ silane, a liquid coupling agent developed by GE scientists.

•

Introduced AZDEL™ Rail-Lite™, a breakthrough flame-retardant, high-strength composite material using GE’s advanced Ultem™ resin, and announced a joint development agreement with China Railway Long Dragon New Composite Materials Co., Ltd. to co-develop AZDEL-based components for passenger train interiors as part of China's refurbishing of its national railway system for the 2008 Olympics.

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Consumer & Industrial

•	Drove higher sales in the quarter with leadership from new Profile^® appliance launches, energy-saving Ultra™ fluorescent lamps, new Ultramax™ and ProLine™ electronic ballast products, improved market penetration by Reveal^® light bulbs and the global strength of industrial product sales.

·	Completed the disposition of its Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration Motor and Capacitor operations to Regal-Beloit Corporation for $380 million.

* * *

GE (NYSE: GE) is a diversified technology, media and financial services company dedicated to creating products that make life better. From aircraft engines and power generation to financial services, medical imaging, television programming, and plastics, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs more than 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains "forward-looking statements" - that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," or "will." Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, particular uncertainties arise from the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest rates and commodity prices, from future integration of acquired businesses, from future financial performance of major industries which we serve, including, without limitation, the air and rail transportation, energy generation and healthcare industries, from unanticipated loss development in our insurance businesses, and from numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

Contact: General Electric, Fairfield

David Frail, 203/373.3387

david.frail@ge.com

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GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Condensed Statement of Earnings

	Consolidated								GE								Financial Services (GECS)
Fourth quarters ended December 31		2004			2003		V	%		2004			2003		V	%		2004			2003		V	%
Revenues
Sales of goods and services	$	25,334		$	21,144				$	24,572		$	20,581				$	830		$	646
Earnings of GECS		-			-					2,387			2,275					-			-
GECS revenues from services		17,959			15,627					-			-					18,321			15,872
Other income		413			193					416			187					-			-
Total revenues		43,706			36,964		18	%		27,375			23,043		19	%		19,151			16,518		16	%

Costs and expenses
Cost of sales, operating and administrative expenses		28,277			23,612					20,813			17,388					7,720			6,425
Interest and other financial charges		3,404			2,823					336			236					3,180			2,708
Insurance losses and policyholder and annuity benefits		4,437			3,960					-			-					4,502			3,960
Provision for losses on financing receivables		1,144			953					-			-					1,144			953
Minority interest in net earnings of consolidated affiliates		389			91					247			58					142			33
Total costs and expenses		37,651			31,439		20	%		21,396			17,682		21	%		16,688			14,079		19	%

Earnings before income taxes		6,055			5,525					5,979			5,361					2,463			2,439
Provision for income taxes		(677	)		(965	)				(601	)		(801	)				(76	)		(164	)
Net earnings	$	5,378		$	4,560		18	%	$	5,378		$	4,560		18	%	$	2,387		$	2,275		5	%

Per-share amounts
Diluted earnings per share	$	0.51		$	0.45		13	%
Diluted number of shares		10,626			10,105

Basic earnings per share	$	0.51		$	0.45		13	%
Basic number of shares		10,580			10,053

Dividends declared per share	$	0.22		$	0.20

Dollar amounts and share amounts in millions; per-share amounts in dollars; unaudited. Supplemental consolidating data are shown for "GE" and "Financial Services (GECS)." Transactions between GE and GECS have been eliminated from the "consolidated" columns. See note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in the 2003 Annual Report to Shareowners for further information about consolidation matters.

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GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY

Condensed Statement of Earnings

	Consolidated									GE									Financial Services (GECS)
Years ended December 31	2004			2003			V%			2004			2003			V%			2004			2003			V%
Revenues
Sales of goods and services	$	84,706		$	72,354					$	82,214		$	70,442					$	2,840		$	2,228
Earnings of GECS before accounting changes		-			-						8,161			7,754						-			-
GECS revenues from services		66,594			61,231						-			-						67,936			62,051
Other income		1,063			602						1,076			645						-			-
Total revenues		152,363			134,187			14	%		91,451			78,841			16	%		70,776			64,279			10	%

Costs and expenses
Cost of sales, operating and administrative expenses		99,907			83,027						71,368			59,273						29,581			24,555
Interest and other financial charges		11,907			10,825						979			941						11,372			10,262
Insurance losses and policyholder and annuity benefits		15,627			16,369						-			-						15,844			16,369
Provision for losses on financing receivables		3,888			3,752						-			-						3,888			3,752
Minority interest in net earnings of consolidated affiliates		928			310						538			181						390			129
Total costs and expenses		132,257			114,283			16	%		72,885			60,395			21	%		61,075			55,067			11	%

Earnings before income taxes and accounting changes		20,106			19,904						18,566			18,446						9,701			9,212
Provision for income taxes		(3,513	)		(4,315	)					(1,973	)		(2,857	)					(1,540	)		(1,458	)
Earnings before accounting changes	$	16,593		$	15,589			6	%	$	16,593		$	15,589			6	%	$	8,161		$	7,754			5	%
Cumulative effect of accounting changes		-			(587	)					-			(587	)					-			(339	)
Net earnings	$	16,593		$	15,002			11	%	$	16,593		$	15,002			11	%	$	8,161		$	7,415			10	%

Per-share amounts before accounting changes
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.59		$	1.55			3	%
Diluted number of shares		10,445			10,075

Basic earnings per share	$	1.60		$	1.56			3	%
Basic number of shares		10,400			10,019

Per-share amounts after accounting changes
Diluted earnings per share	$	1.59		$	1.49			7	%
Diluted number of shares		10,445			10,075

Basic earnings per share	$	1.60		$	1.50			7	%
Basic number of shares		10,400			10,019

Dividends declared per share	$	0.82		$	0.77

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Summary of Operating Segments (unaudited)

General Electric Company and Consolidated Affiliates

		Three Months Ended December 31								Year Ended December 31
(Dollars in millions)		2004			2003		V	%		2004			2003		V	%

Revenues
Advanced Materials	$	2,322		$	1,920		21		$	8,290		$	7,078		17
Commercial Finance		6,338			5,652		12			23,489			20,813		13
Consumer Finance		4,304			3,541		22			15,734			12,845		22
Consumer & Industrial		3,757			3,457		9			13,767			12,843		7
Energy		5,252			5,708		(8	)		17,348			19,082		(9	)
Equipment & Other Services		2,490			1,115		F			8,483			4,427		92
Healthcare		4,259			3,320		28			13,456			10,198		32
Infrastructure		952			845		13			3,447			3,078		12
Insurance		6,019			6,210		(3	)		23,070			26,194		(12	)
NBC Universal		4,341			1,928		F			12,886			6,871		88
Transportation		4,477			3,991		12			15,562			13,515		15
Corporate items and eliminations		(805	)		(723	)	(11	)		(3,169	)		(2,757	)	(15	)

Consolidated revenues	$	43,706		$	36,964		18		$	152,363		$	134,187		14

Segment profit (a)
Advanced Materials	$	247		$	201		23		$	710		$	616		15
Commercial Finance		1,289			1,148		12			4,465			3,910		14
Consumer Finance		637			506		26			2,520			2,161		17
Consumer & Industrial		200			152		32			716			577		24
Energy		922			1,168		(21	)		2,845			4,109		(31	)
Equipment & Other Services		475			143		F			607			(419	)	F
Healthcare		860			572		50			2,286			1,701		34
Infrastructure		170			131		30			563			462		22
Insurance		(14	)		478		U			569			2,102		(73	)
NBC Universal		860			536		60			2,558			1,998		28
Transportation		993			815		22			3,213			2,661		21
Total segment profit		6,639			5,850		13			21,052			19,878		6

GE corporate items and eliminations		(324	)		(253	)	(28	)		(1,507	)		(491	)	U
GE interest and other financial charges		(336	)		(236	)	(42	)		(979	)		(941	)	(4	)
GE provision for income taxes		(601	)		(801	)	25			(1,973	)		(2,857	)	31

Earnings before accounting changes		5,378			4,560		18			16,593			15,589		6

Cumulative effect of accounting changes										-			(587	)

Consolidated net earnings	$	5,378		$	4,560		18		$	16,593		$	15,002		11

(a)

Segment profit always excludes the effects of principal pension plans and accounting changes, and may exclude matters such as charges for restructuring; rationalization and other similar expenses; in-process research and development and certain other acquisition-related charges; certain gains/losses from dispositions; and litigation settlements or other charges, responsibility for which precedes the current management team. Segment profit excludes or includes interest and other financial charges and segment income taxes according to how a particular segment management is measured - excluded in determining operating profit for Advanced Materials, Consumer & Industrial, Energy, Healthcare, Infrastructure, NBC Universal, and Transportation, but included in determining net earnings for Commercial Finance, Consumer Finance, Equipment & Other Services, and Insurance.


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Condensed Statement of Financial Position

General Electric Company and consolidated affiliates

(Dollars in billions)		Consolidated				GE				Financial Services (GECS)
Assets		12/31/04		12/31/03		12/31/04		12/31/03		12/31/04		12/31/03
Cash & marketable securities	$	150.8	$	135.0	$	3.5	$	2.0	$	147.5	$	133.2
Receivables		14.2		10.7		14.5		11.0		-		-
Inventories		9.8		8.8		9.6		8.6		0.2		0.2
GECS financing receivables - net		282.5		247.9		-		-		282.5		247.9
Plant & equipment - net		63.3		53.4		16.7		14.6		46.6		38.8
Investment in GECS		-		-		53.8		45.3		-		-
Goodwill & intangible assets		83.5		55.0		54.7		30.2		28.8		24.8
Other assets		146.2		136.7		38.2		30.4		112.7		109.6

Total assets	$	750.3	$	647.5	$	191.0	$	142.1	$	618.3	$	554.5

Liabilities and equity
Borrowings	$	370.9	$	329.7	$	11.0	$	10.9	$	361.3	$	320.3
Insurance reserves		140.6		136.3		-		-		140.9		136.3
Other liabilities & minority interest		128.5		102.3		69.7		52.0		62.3		52.6
Shareowners' equity		110.3		79.2		110.3		79.2		53.8		45.3

Total liabilities and equity	$	750.3	$	647.5	$	191.0	$	142.1	$	618.3	$	554.5

December 31, 2004 information is unaudited. Supplemental consolidating data are shown for "GE" and "Financial Services (GECS)." Transactions between GE and GECS have been eliminated from the "consolidated" columns. See note 1 to the consolidated financial statements in the 2003 Annual Report to Shareowners for further information about consolidation matters.


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Financial Measures That Supplement GAAP

General Electric Company and consolidated affiliates

We sometimes refer to data derived from consolidated financial information but not required by GAAP to be presented in financial statements. Certain of these data are considered "non-GAAP financial measures" under SEC regulations. Specifically, we have referred to the increase in Industrial CFOA in 2004. Reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure - cash from operating activities - follows.

(Dollars in millions)		YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31
		2004		2003	V	%

Cash from GE's operating activities as reported	$	15,204	$	12,925
Less: GECS dividends		3,105		3,435
Cash from GE's operating activities excluding dividends from GECS (Industrial CFOA)	$	12,099	$	9,490	27	%

We believe that meaningful analysis of our financial performance requires an understanding of the factors underlying that performance and our judgments about the likelihood that particular factors will repeat. In some cases, short-term patterns and long-term trends may be obscured by large factors or events. For example, events or trends in a particular segment may be so significant as to obscure patterns and trends of our industrial or financial services businesses in total. For this reason, we believe that investors may find it useful to compare our cash flow from operating activities for 2004 against 2003 without the impact of GECS dividends, which included proceeds from the Genworth initial public offering in 2004 and other business dispositions in 2004 and 2003.


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