Last quarter, General Electric Co. reported earnings of 28 centsa share. Also 13 cents a share, 19 cents a share, and 15 cents ashare—all at the same time.

The numbers represent profit that includes or excludes certainitems, such as pension costs and discontinued operations. Whilemost big U.S. companies release adjusted earnings that deviate fromgenerally accepted accounting principles, GE stands out for thesheer head-scratching complexity of its quarterly reports. It's oneof only 21 S&P 500 companies that release more than oneadjusted EPS figure.

The methods have created headaches for investors, who say theyobscure the company's true performance, and drawn fresh scrutinyfrom the Securities and Exchange Commission. Now, with a new CEOand finance chief in place and contending with a deepening shareslump, GE is facing calls to bring more clarity to its balancesheet.