What's Driving General Electric's Global Growth?

Nearly every company on the Dow Jones Industrial Average today can claim significant international reach. It might as well be a prerequisite for admission to the index. But to what extent do operations overseas really drive growth for American blue-chip companies?

For GE (NYSE: GE  ) , the longest-standing member of the Dow, foreign markets are critical. They provide balance across the business and plant the seeds for the future. GE's geography is changing rapidly, however, and it tells a story about where this company is headed. To make an assessment of GE's stock, first you need to understand its most promising markets.

GE's history of international expansion is vast, but the real momentum didn't start to build until Jack Welch took the helm in 1981. Up to this point, GE had established sales operations in a few foreign countries, but Welch was the first CEO to really make large investments in the rest of the developed world. Read more.