BFLY vs GE: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated August 2026
Short answer
GE is the larger of the two ($373.60B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (39.68x forward earnings, beta 1.35). BFLY is the smaller challenger ($1.89B), priced similarly on forward earnings (-86.18x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
BFLY vs GE: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | BFLY | GE | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $1.89B | $373.60B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | -86.18 | 39.68 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Beta | 2.05 | 1.35 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 69% of range | 81% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 9.71 | 21.18 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Before you buy: how BFLY and GE affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BFLY and GE share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BFLY and GE exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Butterfly Network (BFLY) do?
Butterfly Network designs and sells handheld ultrasound systems built on its proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip technology, which replaces the traditional piezoelectric crystals in an ultrasound machine with a semiconductor sensor. That lets a single probe (the flagship iQ3) image the whole body and connect to a phone or tablet, and the company layers on subscription software, cloud storage, and AI tools that push clinicians toward higher-margin recurring revenue. Customers include hospitals, clinics, medical schools, and increasingly international and lower-resource settings where a $2,000-to-$5,000-range device is far cheaper than a cart-based system.
What does GE Aerospace (GE) do?
GE Aerospace is the aviation business of the former General Electric conglomerate, which split into three independent companies, with GE Aerospace retaining the GE ticker. It is one of the world's largest makers of commercial and military jet engines. GE Aerospace designs, manufactures, and services engines that power a large share of the global airliner fleet, including through CFM International, its long-running joint venture with France's Safran that produces the best-selling engines for narrowbody aircraft like the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families. The company makes money from selling new engines and, more importantly, from a highly profitable aftermarket of spare parts, maintenance, repair, and long-term service agreements that generate recurring revenue over each engine's decades-long life. GE Aerospace also supplies military engines and avionics. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, it benefits from a massive installed base of engines, strong air-travel demand, and the lucrative razor-and-blades economics of jet engine servicing.
BFLY vs GE: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- BFLY drivers: Software and recurring-revenue mix shift; iQ3 probe and hardware refresh cycle.
- GE drivers: Aftermarket services engine; Dominant narrowbody position.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: Butterfly remains unprofitable, with trailing losses of roughly $76M against about $103M of revenue as of Q1 2026, so it depends on its cash balance and, potentially, future capital raises that could dilute shareholders. For GE, gE Aerospace is exposed to the cyclical aviation industry, where downturns, pandemics, or shocks to air travel can sharply reduce flight hours and aftermarket revenue.
BFLY or GE: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BFLY if you believe its drivers more; GE if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BFLY and GE guides.
BFLY vs GE: the full fundamentals
BFLY. As of mid-2026, Butterfly generated roughly $103M in trailing revenue while posting net losses, and it guided to full-year 2026 revenue of about $117M to $121M with an adjusted-EBITDA loss of roughly $21M to $25M. With a market cap in the $1.5B-to-$2.3B range after a large share-price run, the stock trades at a high multiple of sales, so the valuation embeds substantial future growth. The roughly $138M cash balance gives it a multi-year runway at current burn rates.
GE. GE Aerospace is valued as a high-quality aviation franchise with durable, recurring aftermarket profits and leadership in narrowbody engines. Investors assign a premium multiple reflecting the predictability of services revenue and strong air-travel demand. The valuation has expanded considerably, leaving it sensitive to the cyclicality of aviation and to engine delivery and supply chain execution.
Headline figures (approximate, JUNE 2026): BFLY shows revenue (ttm) ~$103M, q1 2026 revenue growth ~25% YoY, fy2026 revenue guidance ~$117M to $121M, gross margin (q1 2026) ~69%; GE shows revenue (ttm) ~$35 to 40 billion, operating margin ~high teens to twenties percent, net income (ttm) ~$6 billion or more, aftermarket revenue ~majority of profit.
The bottom line: BFLY vs GE
BFLY and GE are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BFLY and GE exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how BFLY or GE fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Butterfly Network with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how BFLY fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between BFLY and GE?
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Butterfly Network designs and sells handheld ultrasound systems built on its proprietary Ultrasound-on-Chip technology, which replaces the traditional piezoelectric crystals in an ultrasound machine with a semiconductor sensor. GE Aerospace is the aviation business of the former General Electric conglomerate, which split into three independent companies, with GE Aerospace retaining the GE ticker. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is BFLY or GE the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. GE is the larger incumbent; BFLY is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, BFLY or GE?
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On forward P/E (as of August 2026), BFLY trades at -86.18x and GE at 39.68x, so BFLY is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both BFLY and GE?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of BFLY vs GE?
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BFLY: Butterfly remains unprofitable, with trailing losses of roughly $76M against about $103M of revenue as of Q1 2026, so it depends on its cash balance and, potentially, future capital raises that could dilute shareholders. The point-of-care ultrasound market is competitive, with GE HealthCare, Philips, Clarius, Exo, and others fielding rival handheld devices, which can pressure pricing and adoption. Revenue is lumpy because it leans on hardware launch cycles and large institutional orders, and the stock trades at a high multiple of sales after a large run-up, leaving it vulnerable to sharp drawdowns if growth or margins disappoint. Regulatory, reimbursement, and clinical-adoption dynamics add further uncertainty to the timeline for profitability. GE: GE Aerospace is exposed to the cyclical aviation industry, where downturns, pandemics, or shocks to air travel can sharply reduce flight hours and aftermarket revenue. It depends heavily on the health of Boeing and Airbus production rates, and supply chain constraints have limited engine deliveries. Engine programs are technically complex, and quality or durability issues can be costly. The CFM joint venture ties results partly to Safran. New engine programs require heavy upfront investment with long payback. Competition from Pratt and Whitney and Rolls-Royce is intense. The stock's valuation has risen significantly, leaving it sensitive to any slowdown in the aviation cycle or execution missteps.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell BFLY or GE; figures are approximate and dated (as of August 2026). Verify current data before investing.