"GE stock has basically gone sideways for five years despite solid underlying execution," Sprague said in a research report. "We believe GE's size and complexity is working against investor interest in the stock and has contributed to further valuation erosion."
The company's stock rose 2.8 percent to $36.84 in early trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
GE , the world's second-largest company by market capitalization behind Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE:XOM - News), has diverse operations ranging from manufacturing jet engines to commercial lending to NBC media.