Click chart for more premarket data
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- U.S. stocks were headed for a higher open Friday, as investors continue to mull shakeups in the tech world and the latest earnings from General Electric and Bank of America.
Dow Jones industrial average (INDU), S&P 500 (SPX) and Nasdaq (COMP) futures were slightly higher ahead of the opening bell. Futures measure current index values against perceived future performance.
On Thursday, stocks closed modestly lower as technology shares remained weak, and worries about the downside of China's robust economy hung over the market.
Tech shares have gotten hammered this week with the Nasdaq down almost 2% since Monday. But overall, stocks have been on an upward trajectory this year -- with the Dow Jones industrial average now less than 200 points shy of 12,000.
Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist for Janney Montgomery Scott, said that GE's results were bolstered by recovery in the U.S. industrial sector and Bank of America's loss was already expected, tempering the impact of the negative news.
While Friday appears to be headed for a positive session, Luschini said that stock markets were "struggling" early in the week. He said Friday's performance would be "somewhat of a snapback from some of the pressure that was put on the equity markets."
"It's getting harder to surprise investors who already have elevated levels of enthusiasm related to equity investments," he said.
Companies: General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) reported a fourth-quarter profit that topped Wall Street forecast, sending its stock up 3.4%.
The Fairfield, Conn.-based conglomerate said its fourth-quarter earnings rose 31% to $3.9 billion.
Bank of America reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $1.2 billion, or 16 cents per share. The latest results included a previously announced goodwill impairment charge of $2 billion. Shares of Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) fell 2% in premarket trading.
After the market closed Thursday, Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) reshuffled its management and reported quarterly earnings and sales that topped expectations.
The search engine company said Eric Schmidt is stepping down as chief executive, with co-founder Larry Page taking over in April. Shares of Google rose slightly in premarket trading.
Also after the close, Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced that four directors are stepping down. Five new directors will join the computer product company's board, including eBay (EBAY, Fortune 500)'s ex-CEO Meg Whitman. Shares of HP were little changed ahead of the opening bell.
In other corporate news, Warner Music (WMG) said it retained Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) to find a buyer for all or part of the company, according to news reports. Shares of Warner Music rose 20% in premarket trading.
World markets: European stocks gained in morning trading. Britain's FTSE 100 rose 0.8%, the DAX in Germany ticked up 1% and France's CAC 40 gained 1.7%.
Asian markets ended mixed. The Shanghai Composite soared 1.4%, while the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 0.5% and Japan's Nikkei tumbled 1.6%.
Economy: There are no market moving economic reports on tap for Friday.
Currencies and commodities: The dollar slipped against major international currencies, including the euro, the Japanese yen and the British pound.
Oil for March delivery was flat, slipping 1 cent to $89.58 a barrel.
Gold futures for February delivery fell $4 to $1,345.70 an ounce.
Bonds: The price on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rose, pushing the yield down to 3.42% from 3.45% late Thursday. 
| Overnight Avg Rate | Latest | Change | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed | 3.80% | 3.88% | |
| 15 yr fixed | 3.20% | 3.23% | |
| 5/1 ARM | 3.84% | 3.88% | |
| 30 yr refi | 3.82% | 3.93% | |
| 15 yr refi | 3.20% | 3.23% |
Today's featured rates:
| Index | Last | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dow | 32,627.97 | -234.33 | -0.71% |
| Nasdaq | 13,215.24 | 99.07 | 0.76% |
| S&P 500 | 3,913.10 | -2.36 | -0.06% |
| Treasuries | 1.73 | 0.00 | 0.12% |
| Company | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Motor Co | 8.29 | 0.05 | 0.61% |
| Advanced Micro Devic... | 54.59 | 0.70 | 1.30% |
| Cisco Systems Inc | 47.49 | -2.44 | -4.89% |
| General Electric Co | 13.00 | -0.16 | -1.22% |
| Kraft Heinz Co | 27.84 | -2.20 | -7.32% |
|
Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More |
Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More |
Honda and General Motors are creating a new generation of fully autonomous vehicles. More |
In 1998, Ntsiki Biyela won a scholarship to study wine making. Now she's about to launch her own brand. More |
Whether you hedge inflation or look for a return that outpaces inflation, here's how to prepare. More |
