GE Is the Bellwether of the Week: Poll

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- With earnings season already in full swing -- an earnings season fraught with tension as investors seek evidence of a possible economic recovery -- we asked readers of TheStreet which company they consider to be most telling bellwether of just such a rebound.

In the poll, we presented a selection of very large concerns from various industries, all of which reported this week.

The biggest of the big, General Electric(GE Quote), put up some disappointing numbers Friday morning.

And if our survey results are any indication, that could spell an ominous period for the economy as a whole, as our readers overwhelmingly chose GE as the company that best offers a window into the performance of the American corporate machine, achieving some 55.6% of the vote.

GE, after all, has its hands in many places. Its sprawling industrial segments build everything from railroad engines to turbines. Its troubled GE Capital arm is an enormous lender. Its NBC unit, though possibly on the chopping block, is exposed to the vicissitudes of the consumer.

Coming in second place, with a mere 18.6% of the clicks, was Citigroup(C Quote), which also reported a mixed quarter on Thursday, posting a disappointing bottom line against a slightly better-than-expected revenue figure. Bank of America (BAC Quote) took third, though distantly, garnering 8.4% of the clicks.