GE’s tumble from grace

Last month, General Electric lost its place among our nation’s top 30 performing corporations. It was the last member of the original companies, which composed the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Since 1896, American investors have looked to the Dow to judge how the top performing companies’ stocks are trading each session. The Dow favors companies with excellent reputations for sustained growth and which have broad investor interest.

GE, once the world’s most valuable company, was replaced by Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., the Deerfield, Illinois-based drugstore chain. GE stock slipped to $13...