The companies that reported earnings before the markets open on Friday are: General Electric, Bank of America, Schlumberger, BB&T, Air Products and SunTrust Banks.

* Multinational conglomerate General Electric (NYSE: GE) posted a higher quarterly profit on growth in Technology Infrastructure and NBC Universal Businesses and lower costs. GE said fourth-quarter earnings from continuing operations attributable to GE rose 31 percent to $3.9 billion and earnings per share from continuing operations grew 33 percent to $0.36. Revenue was $41.4 billion, compared with $41.05 billion in the year-ago quarter. Quarterly revenue was the company’s first positive growth in nine quarters, it said. Fourteen analysts, on average, polled by Thomson Reuters expected profit of 32 cents per share on revenue of $39.90 billion. Revenue from Technology Infrastructure and NBC Universal businesses rose 9 percent and 12 percent respectively. Shares of GE ended Thursday's trading at $18.43.

* Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) posted a net loss of $1.2 billion, or $0.16 per share, for the fourth quarter, including a goodwill impairment charge of $2.0 billion in the Home Loans and Insurance segment. Excluding the charge, the company said it earned $756 million, or $ 0.04 per share. In the year-ago quarter, BAC lost $194 million or 60 cents a share. Revenue, net of interest expense, on a fully taxable-equivalent (FTE) basis fell 11 percent to $22.67 billion. Analysts expected the bank to earn 14 cents a share on revenue of $24.87 billion for the fourth quarter. The stock closed Thursday's trading at $14.54.

* Schlumberger Ltd. (NYSE:SLB) reported quarterly profit of $1.04 billion or 76 cents a share, up from $795 million or 65 cents a share a year earlier. Revenue rose to $9.07 billion from $5.74 billion. Earnings per share from continuing operations, excluding charges and credits, was $0.85 for the fourth quarter. Analysts expected the oilfield services provider to earn 77 cents a share on revenue of $8.70 billion. Shares of SLB ended Thursday's trading at $85.28.

* BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT) said earnings available to common shareholders were $208 million or $0.30 per share for the fourth quarter, compared with $185 million, or $0.27 per share earned during the fourth quarter of 2009. Revenue was flat at $2.3 billion. Analysts expected earnings of $0.26 per share on revenue of $2.21 billion. The stock closed Thursday's trading at $27.08.

* Air Products (NYSE: APD) posted first quarter earnings of $296 million, or $1.35 per share, up from $252 million or $1.16 per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2010. Sales rose 10 percent to $2.39 billion on volume growth across its Electronics and Performance Materials, Tonnage Gases and Merchant Gases segments, it said. Analysts expected net income of $1.34 per share on revenue of $2.35 billion. Air Products lifted its fiscal 2011 earnings per share forecast to $5.55 to $5.70 per share. The company also expects second quarter EPS to be between $1.36 and $1.40 per share. Shares of APD ended Thursday's trading at $87.26.

* SunTrust Banks Inc. (NYSE:STI) swung to a fourth quarter profit, helped by solid revenue and continued improvement in credit quality. The bank posted net income available to common shareholders of $114 million, or $0.23 per share, compared with a net loss of $248 million, or $0.64 per share for the fourth quarter of 2009. Total revenue was $2.3 billion, up from $1.9 billion. Net interest margin expanded to 3.44 percent, the seventh consecutive quarterly increase, and net interest income grew 7 percent, it said. STI ended Thursday's trading at $27.97.

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