GE stock rises toward a 5-year high after big profit and revenue beats, surprisingly positive free cash flow

Shares of General Electric Co. GE climbed 0.7% toward a five-year high in premarket trading Tuesday, after the aerospace and energy company reported first-quarter profit and revenue that were well above expectations and free cash flow that was surprisingly positive. GE swung to net earnings per share of $6.71 from a loss of $1.08 a share, in the year-ago period. Excluding nonrecurring items, adjusted EPS of 27 cents topped the FactSet consensus of 14 cents. Total revenue grew 14.3% to $14.49 billion, well above the FactSet consensus of $13.30 billion, with all three business segments, GE Aerospace, Renewable Energy and…