GE Capital sheds systemically important label

Regulators Stateside took GE Capital, General Electric´s finance arm, off their list of "systemically important" firms, potentially opening the way for the company to be able to increase its level of gearing.

The decision followed a vote by the US Financial Stability Oversight Council this week.

US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said the decision, which followed the sale of nearly $156bn of GE Capital´s businesses in order to avoid onerous regulations, showed that such a designation was a two-way process.

As of 15:10 BST shares in GE were higher by 1.59% to $30.42.