GENERAL ELECTRIC

Stock index futures pointed to a slightly lower open for equities on Wall Street on Friday, with futures for the S&P 500, the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq 100 down 0.02 to 0.2 percent.

The companies expected to see active trade Friday are: General Electric, Google, Schlumberger, Microsoft Corp, Suntrust Banks, Intel Corp, Fifth Third Bancorp, Parker Hannifin Corp, First Horizon National Corp and Intuitive Surgical.

General Electric, the U.S.'s largest industrial manufacturer, is expected to report a 22.3 percent fourth-quarter profit increase when it announces its earnings Friday, driven by strong equipment order and pricing trends and growth in the aviation and energy infrastructure sectors. It marks the seventh straight quarter of operating earnings growth.

The government plans to launch a $1 billion fund by June-July, with an initial capital of 5 billion rupees, to invest in ideas that will generate services and products to uplift the poor, a top government official told reporters on Monday.

Now that 153,000 people have exhausted themselves at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, an American visitor can't help thinking that the future of electronics is in Asia, not California's Silicon Valley or Texas.

U.S. stock investors will return to a tug-of-war between signs of domestic strength and overseas concerns next week as a batch of critical earnings reports look to add credence to the idea the economy is improving, while credit-rating downgrades in Europe will keep that region's difficulties in view.

A new word has become more common the Obama administration's lexicon: veto. After three years spent cultivating the image of a middle ground-seeking compromiser-in-chief, the White House appears to have made a 180-degree turn. Three veto threats have been floated against major pieces of legislation. President Barack Obama suddenly refuses take any gruff from Congressional Republicans.

A federal judge refused on Thursday to throw out a lawsuit accusing General Electric Co and its chief executive of misleading investors about the conglomerate's financial health and exposure to risky debt during the 2008 financial crisis.

Federated Investors Inc objected to hundreds of executive pay packages in last year's corporate proxy voting, a rarity in the don't-rock-the-boat mutual funds industry.

A memo that triggered a U.S. investigation into a possible cyber-attack by Indian military intelligence is probably a fake, but it is clear from leaked documents that serious security breaches did take place.

General Electric (GE) and a slew of trade groups for the oil, agriculture and manufacturing industries are supporting a family seeking to challenge Environmental Protection Agency authority.

Caterpillar Inc's Electro-Motive unit has decided to lock out locomotive manufacturing workers in London, Ontario, after finding out the Canadian Auto Workers told members not to strike following the breakdown of contract negotiations.

Caterpillar Inc is unilaterally implementing lower wage and benefit terms for locomotive manufacturing workers in London, Ontario after Canadian Auto Workers negotiations failed in the days leading up to a contract expiration.

The head of the Canadian Auto Workers union is looking for a green light from members to potentially strike Caterpillar over a contract dispute in London, Ontario.

General Electric Co agreed to buy life insurer MetLife Inc's online bank on Tuesday, in a deal that will let GE's capital arm expand its funding base and lessen reliance on wholesale markets.

General Electric Co jumped into the retail deposits business on Tuesday, buying the online bank from life insurer MetLife Inc in a deal that will let GE's capital arm expand its funding base and lessen reliance on wholesale markets.

GE Capital, the financial services division of General Electric Co. (NYSE: GE), announced today that its wholly-owned bank affiliate, GE Capital Financial Inc. is acquiring MetLife Inc.'s (MET) U.S. retail deposit business as GE moves into online banking.

A former unit of General Electric Co. (GE) agreed to pay $70.35 million to U.S. regulators to resolve complaints about the company's role in anticompetitive activity in the municipal bond investments market.

With less than two weeks left in 2011, investors are looking at challenges and opportunities ahead to better position themselves for the coming year.

The economy is gaining momentum and should push through next year with only a few bruises despite an almost certain European recession and slower global growth.

Amid the holidays and making your list and checking it twice, what better time to consider one of 3 stocking-stuffer stocks that you can place by the chimney with care: General Electric (GE), CVS (CVS), Intel (INTC). These 3 companies are the kind of stock that you can buy for child's college fund, and in 10 years, you'll be really glad you did.