AMZN vs. GE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AMZN and GE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AMZN’s market capitalization of 2,371.81 billion USD is substantially larger than GE’s 263.27 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

With betas of 1.33 for AMZN and 1.39 for GE, both stocks show similar sensitivity to overall market movements.

Symbol	AMZN	GE
Company Name	Amazon.com, Inc.	General Electric Company
Country	US	US
Sector	Consumer Cyclical	Industrials
Industry	Specialty Retail	Aerospace & Defense
CEO	Andrew R. Jassy	H. Lawrence Culp Jr.
Price	223.41 USD	246.88 USD
Market Cap	2,371.81 billion USD	263.27 billion USD
Beta	1.33	1.39
Exchange	NASDAQ	NYSE
IPO Date	May 15, 1997	January 2, 1962
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AMZN and GE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AMZN vs. GE: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AMZN

24.26%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 70.52%
Q3: 29.03%
Median: 10.90%
Q1: -7.86%
Min: -57.43%

AMZN’s Return on Equity of 24.26% is on par with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

GE

36.78%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 42.57%
Q3: 16.67%
Median: 8.39%
Q1: -0.77%
Min: -23.36%

In the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, GE’s Return on Equity of 36.78% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AMZN

13.10%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 29.46%
Q3: 13.75%
Median: 8.05%
Q1: 0.80%
Min: -17.95%

AMZN’s Return on Invested Capital of 13.10% is in line with the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

GE

7.17%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 23.42%
Q3: 8.86%
Median: 5.47%
Q1: -5.60%
Min: -22.46%

GE’s Return on Invested Capital of 7.17% is in line with the norm for the Aerospace & Defense industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AMZN

10.14%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 19.78%
Q3: 8.49%
Median: 3.43%
Q1: -0.69%
Min: -9.88%

A Net Profit Margin of 10.14% places AMZN in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

GE

17.63%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.67%
Q3: 8.04%
Median: 4.95%
Q1: -5.07%
Min: -16.58%

A Net Profit Margin of 17.63% places GE in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AMZN

11.02%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 24.47%
Q3: 11.10%
Median: 5.85%
Q1: 0.66%
Min: -12.62%

AMZN’s Operating Profit Margin of 11.02% is around the midpoint for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

GE

18.89%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 22.01%
Q3: 11.49%
Median: 8.96%
Q1: 3.77%
Min: -4.96%

An Operating Profit Margin of 18.89% places GE in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AMZN	GE
Return on Equity (TTM)	24.26%	36.78%
Return on Assets (TTM)	10.25%	5.64%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	13.10%	7.17%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	10.14%	17.63%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	11.02%	18.89%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	49.16%	38.11%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AMZN

1.05

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 3.24
Q3: 1.99
Median: 1.42
Q1: 1.02
Min: 0.54

AMZN’s Current Ratio of 1.05 aligns with the median group of the Specialty Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

GE

1.08

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 5.13
Q3: 3.36
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.20
Min: 0.41

GE’s Current Ratio of 1.08 falls into the lower quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AMZN

0.44

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 2.72
Q3: 1.42
Median: 0.87
Q1: 0.35
Min: 0.01

AMZN’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.44 is typical for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

GE

1.02

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 1.20
Q3: 0.73
Median: 0.51
Q1: 0.09
Min: 0.00

GE’s leverage is in the upper quartile of the Aerospace & Defense industry, with a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.02. While this approach can boost equity growth, it also exposes the company to greater financial vulnerability.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AMZN

31.13

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 17.19
Median: 4.28
Q1: 0.11
Min: -23.60

AMZN’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 31.13 is in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

GE

8.03

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 12.62
Q3: 7.38
Median: 2.95
Q1: 1.68
Min: -6.68

GE’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.03 is in the upper quartile for the Aerospace & Defense industry, signifying a strong and healthy capacity to meet its interest payments from operating profits.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AMZN	GE
Current Ratio (TTM)	1.05	1.08
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.84	0.77
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	0.44	1.02
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.21	0.16
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	0.50	0.73
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	31.13	8.03

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AMZN and GE. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AMZN

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.54%
Q3: 1.52%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AMZN currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

GE

0.49%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 6.00%
Q3: 0.66%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE’s Dividend Yield of 0.49% is consistent with its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AMZN

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 177.64%
Q3: 9.49%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AMZN has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

GE

17.50%

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 172.02%
Q3: 32.47%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

GE’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 17.50% is within the typical range for the Aerospace & Defense industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AMZN	GE
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.49%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	17.50%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AMZN

35.92

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 81.45
Q3: 42.51
Median: 25.40
Q1: 12.72
Min: 1.88

AMZN’s P/E Ratio of 35.92 is within the middle range for the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

GE

37.76

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 75.34
Q3: 54.40
Median: 38.63
Q1: 26.10
Min: 16.44

GE’s P/E Ratio of 37.76 is within the middle range for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AMZN

1.72

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.90
Q3: 2.79
Median: 1.76
Q1: 0.69
Min: 0.00

AMZN’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.72 is within the middle range of its peers in the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

GE

2.47

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 10.68
Q3: 5.36
Median: 2.31
Q1: 1.47
Min: 0.01

GE’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.47 is within the middle range of its peers in the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AMZN

3.65

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.26
Q3: 2.60
Median: 1.29
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.06

AMZN’s P/S Ratio of 3.65 is in the upper echelon for the Specialty Retail industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

GE

6.63

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 19.34
Q3: 9.54
Median: 2.71
Q1: 1.59
Min: 0.35

GE’s P/S Ratio of 6.63 aligns with the market consensus for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AMZN

7.74

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 12.73
Q3: 6.96
Median: 3.28
Q1: 1.42
Min: 0.24

AMZN’s P/B Ratio of 7.74 is in the upper tier for the Specialty Retail industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

GE

13.72

Aerospace & Defense Industry

Max: 16.08
Q3: 8.12
Median: 4.12
Q1: 2.69
Min: 0.69

GE’s P/B Ratio of 13.72 is in the upper tier for the Aerospace & Defense industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

AMZN vs. GE: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Aerospace & Defense industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AMZN	GE
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	35.92	37.76
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	1.72	2.47
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	3.65	6.63
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	7.74	13.72
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	113.97	59.73
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	18.07	27.52
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	3.75	6.82