General Electric growth slows

General Electric has posted a 3 per cent rise in third-quarter profits, as losses from the September 11 attacks pushed the world's most valuable company off its long-standing path of double-digit earnings growth.

GE, reporting its first quarter since the departure of legendary leader Jack Welch, said third-quarter earnings were $US3.28 billion ($7.7 billion), or 33c a share, compared with $US3.18 billion, or 32c per share, a year earlier.