IBT Staff Reporter

Stock index futures briefly trimmed losses on Friday following a government report showing new U.S. housing starts and permits jumped more than expected in June.

Citigroup Inc on Friday reported quarterly earnings.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is more optimistic on the economic outlook than he was three months ago, he said in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde published on Friday.

Stock index futures fell on Friday as caution took root following four days of gains, after General Electric Co's quarterly earnings sank and Google Inc pointed to weaker advertising and revenue growth, despite beating expectations.

Bank of America Corp posted a quarterly profit that topped Wall Street forecasts, but the largest U.S. bank warned of a fresh surge in troubled loans from credit card, mortgage and business customers due to the weak economy.

Oil slipped below $62 a barrel on Friday, undermined by concerns over the outlook for the world economy, a stronger dollar and some selling pressure after four days of gains.

Bank of America Corp posted a lower quarterly profit on Friday, hurt by a surge in troubled loans as more credit card and mortgage customers fell behind on payments.

(Corrects profit decline before preferred stock divideds to 5 percent from 7 percent, in 3rd paragraph)

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co said it will close its tire plant in the Philippines by the end of the third quarter, as it tries to cut production capacity to cut costs by $700 million this year.

Stock index futures fell on Friday after General Electric Co's quarterly earnings sank and Google Inc, despite beating profit expectations, pointed to weaker advertising and revenue growth.

Bank of America Corp posted a lower quarterly profit on Friday, hurt by a surge in troubled loans as more credit card and mortgage customers fell behind on payments.

S&P 500 stock index futures extended losses on Friday on caution over how long the market's recent run-up would last, following General Electric Co and Bank of America Corp quarterly results.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

Bank of America Corp on Friday reported second-quarter results.

British Airways unveiled a $1 billion fundraising aimed at securing its future, including $540 million in bank loans that had been earmarked for its pension funds as a safety net against the airline going bust.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

General Electric Co said profit fell by almost half, on a deeper drop in revenue than Wall Street expected, as the slump that has gripped its finance and media businesses took hold of its heavy industrial units.

U.S. banks, at the center of the world's financial crisis, will command investor focus on Friday with Bank of America and Citigroup results following strong showings from their peers.

U.S. banks, at the center of the world's financial crisis, will command investor focus on Friday with Bank of America and Citigroup results following strong showings from their peers.

Belgian financial investor RHJ International offered 275 million euros ($387.6 million) for a 50.1 percent stake in General Motors' Opel business in a last-ditch effort to beat out rival suitors.

Belgian financial investor RHJ International offered 275 million euros ($387.6 million) for a 50.1 percent stake in General Motors' Opel business in a last-ditch effort to beat out rival suitors.

Dow Jones futures were down 0.01 percent by 4.38 a.m. ET while S&P 500 futures ticked down 0.05 percent and Nasdaq futures rose 0.3 percent, suggesting a mixed start for U.S. stocks on Friday after four days of gains.

World stocks hit a one-month high on Friday on growing optimism that the earnings season may turn out to be better than expected, while investors set their eyes on giants such as Citigroup for clearer market trend.

The fate of four signed basketballs given by NBA great Shaquille O'Neal to Sichuan earthquake survivors sparked an Internet storm in China this week.

Oil fell below $62 a barrel on Friday amid lingering skepticism over the pace of a global economic recovery, but prices are on track to snap four straight weeks of decline to post a weekly gain.

Asian shares extended gains on Friday on hopes the global recession is receding after key U.S. companies beat earnings expectations, but deadly blasts in Jakarta weighed on Indonesian stocks and the rupiah.

Investors were looking to Bank of America and Citigroup for a fresh dose of earnings optimism on Friday, after strong reports from JPMorgan Chase and IBM raised hopes for a global recovery.

Symbian, the mobile phone web OS Company for a large number of the world's phones will begin working on the development of mobile applications.

The new General Motors Co is looking to the fast-growing Far Eastern markets, especially China, the Detroit News reported on Wednesday.