If You Invested $1,000 in Boeing or GE 5 Years Ago, Here’s What You’d Have Today

2 days ago 3

Trey Thoelcke

Mon, March 9, 2026 astatine 10:55 AM CDT 4 min read

Boeing (BA) returned −8.41% implicit 5 years with $54.1B debt. GE Aerospace (GE) returned +382.62% and S&P 500 (SPY) returned +71.37% implicit 5 years. GE posted $7.69B escaped currency flow, up 109%.
Boeing faced cascading crises from the 737 MAX grounding done accumulation struggles portion GE transformed by spinning disconnected healthcare and vigor businesses to go a focused aerospace motor maker.
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Five years ago, you had $1,000 to put and 2 celebrated American concern names to take from. Boeing (NYSE: BA) looked similar the safer bet: a century-old aerospace giant, a dividend payer, a blue-chip name. General Electric, present GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE), looked similar a cautionary tale, a conglomerate that had spent years destroying shareholder value. The capitalist who chose GE won, and it wasn't close.

Boeing entered 2021 inactive reeling from the 737 MAX grounding, past faced COVID-19 decimating aerial question demand, proviso concatenation failures, a doorway plug blowout successful aboriginal 2024, and a machinists' onslaught that produced conscionable 57 commercialized deliveries successful Q4 2024. The institution burned done cash, piled connected debt, and suspended its dividend. New CEO Kelly Ortberg began stabilizing operations, with 600 commercialized deliveries successful full-year 2025 and $89.46 cardinal successful revenue, up 34.49% twelvemonth implicit year. But $54.1 cardinal successful consolidated indebtedness and still-negative escaped currency travel mean the spread is deep.

While Boeing was surviving, GE was transforming. The institution spun disconnected GE HealthCare successful January 2023, past separated its vigor concern arsenic GE Vernova successful April 2024, leaving a lean, pure-play aerospace motor maker. Legacy GE holders who received spinoff shares successful those businesses saw their full returns compounded further beyond what the GE Aerospace stock terms unsocial reflects. The focused concern posted $45.86 cardinal successful 2025 revenue, up 18.48%, with escaped currency travel of $7.69 billion, up 109% twelvemonth implicit year.

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Boeing

1-Year Return: $1,000 became $1,458 (+45.75%) vs. S&P 500 $1,159 (+15.92%)
5-Year Return: $1,000 became $916 (-8.41%) vs. S&P 500 $1,714 (+71.37%)
10-Year Return: $1,000 became $1,993 (+99.30%) vs. S&P 500 $3,293 (+229.27%)

GE Aerospace

1-Year Return: $1,000 became $1,617 (+61.73%) vs. S&P 500 $1,159 (+15.92%)
5-Year Return: $1,000 became $4,826 (+382.62%) vs. S&P 500 $1,714 (+71.37%)
10-Year Return: $1,000 became $2,406 (+140.57%) vs. S&P 500 $3,293 (+229.27%)