frm8k.htm


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
 
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
FORM 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) September 17, 2007
 
 
General Electric Company
  
 
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  
 
New York
  
1-35
  
14-0689340
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  
(Commission
File Number)
  
(IRS Employer
Identification No.)
   
 
    
3135 Easton Turnpike, Fairfield, Connecticut
      
06828-0001
(Address of principal executive offices)
      
(Zip Code)
   
 
    
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code   (203) 373-2211
 
     
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instructions A.2. below):
 
¨
 
Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
¨
 
Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
¨
 
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
 
¨
 
Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
 


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Item 2.05 Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities
 
On September 17, 2007, General Electric Company committed to a plan to exit its Japanese personal loan business (Lake).  We made the decision to exit this business upon determining that, despite restructuring, Japanese regulatory limits for interest charges on unsecured personal loans did not permit us to earn an acceptable return.  We are actively pursuing a buyer and expect to complete the sale of this business by the end of the third quarter of 2008.  In connection with this exit, we expect to record an after-tax loss in the range of $0.8 billion to $1.0 billion in the third quarter of 2007, which represents the difference between the net book value of our Lake business and the projected sale price.  We estimate that the total costs to be incurred in connection with this plan will be in the range of $0.9 billion to $1.1 billion, which includes approximately $0.1 billion of future cash expenditures.  The results of Lake will be reported as a discontinued operation in the third quarter of 2007.
 

Item 8.01 Other Events
 
In addition, as a result of our previously disclosed plan to sell our U.S. mortgage business, WMC, we will report WMC as a discontinued operation in the third quarter of 2007.
 

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 “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, particular uncertainties that could adversely or positively affect our future results include: the behavior of financial markets, including fluctuations in interest and exchange rates and commodity and equity prices; the commercial and consumer credit environment; the impact of regulation and regulatory, investigative and legal actions; strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions; future integration of acquired businesses; future financial performance of major industries which we serve, including, without limitation, the air and rail transportation, energy generation, media, real estate and healthcare industries; and numerous other matters of national, regional and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business and competitive 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.
 

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SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
   
General Electric Company
  
   
(Registrant)
  
       
Date: September 21, 2007
  
/s/ Philip D. Ameen
  
   
Philip D. Ameen
  
   
Vice President and Comptroller
  

 

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