JPMorgan analyst Stephen Tusa says part of the bull case for GE Aviation is strong growth in Defense over the next six years, as per management guidance of 15% growth this year, and an almost doubling by 2025. The analyst, however, views this forecast as optimistic. GE Aviation growth year-to-date has tracked below the targeted rate at 4.5% and a tick below peers growing 6.5%, with 55% growth required in Q4 to hit guidance of $4.7B that was reaffirmed at the June Paris Air Show, Tusa tells investors in a research note. He also views the long term guidance of $8.3B in revenues for 2025 as a "stretch." The analyst sees a "lack of tangible evidence of inflection in platforms highlighted consistently over the past few years." As a result, Tusa struggles to find support for guidance, "especially in context of flat revenue performance here since 2009, which ranks as worst in class versus the major primes and other tiered suppliers." He keeps an Underweight rating on shares of General Electric with a $5 price target.

Citi raised the firm's price target on GE Aerospace to $186 from $120.43 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The company's' Q1 was better than expected and it modestly increased its full-year EBIT outlook, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm says commercial aftermarket demand remains robust.

BofA analyst Ronald Epstein raised the firm's price target on GE Aerospace to $180 from $165 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. GE boasts a unique portfolio with exposure across aircraft manufacturers, aircraft classes, legacy/new/nextgen platforms, and aftermarket/OE customers, says the firm, which believes GE is "strongly positioned to benefit from secular commercial aero growth."