General Electric slashed its stock dividend to just a penny on Tuesday amid continued losses, and disclosed that US authorities have broadened an investigation into the company’s accounting. Chief Executive H. Lawrence Culp, who was tapped earlier this month to try to lead a recovery, also announced a plan to split up the troubled power division and signaled that a turnaround would take time. Investors have been hopeful that Culp, an outsider to GE as the former chief executive of the conglomerate Danaher, will change the company’s fortunes and the share price initially rose in pre-market trading after the results were released.
