General Electric Co. reported a higher-than-expected quarterly profit on Friday, but a closely watched revenue measure declined, raising questions about the company’s full-year target.

The industrial conglomerate said organic revenue, which excludes foreign exchange and discontinued operations, fell 1 percent in the first quarter, but it affirmed its forecast of 2 percent to 4 percent growth for 2016. Some analysts had said the top end of that range appeared difficult to achieve due to sluggish demand for oil and gas equipment and a weak industrial economy.

“The oil and gas environment is challenging,” CEO Jeff Immelt said in a statement. But GE was “able to offset this with better performance across the portfolio.”

The company’s shares were down 0.9 percent at $30.70 in trading before the market opened.

GE said power generation equipment shipments were low in the first quarter, but it expects a pickup in the second half of the year. As a result, second-half organic revenue should be up 5 percent, helping the company hit its target, executives said on a conference call.

The company said earnings per share, excluding items, rose 5 percent to 21 cents from a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting 19 cents, according to Thomson Reuters.

Foreign exchange costs decreased the figure by 2 cents a share.

GE reported a net loss of $98 million, or 1 cent a share, mainly due to non-cash charges from the sale of financial businesses, part of an ongoing divestiture of the GE Capital unit.

The company said it still expected a full-year profit of $1.45 to $1.55 a share, excluding items.

GE Profit Tops Estimates, But Key Revenue Measure Falls

by Reuters time to read: 1 min
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