US futures rise as weekend nears

[April 20, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- Stock futures are rising ahead of the week's last session with earnings at so many major U.S. corporations faring better than expected and some fresh optimism from Europe.

Dow Jones industrial average futures are up 55 points to 12,957 and Standard & Poor's 500 index futures are up 5 points at 1,377.5. Nasdaq composite futures are up 9.25 points to 2,692.75.

The Nasdaq index has been under pressure this week because of Apple Inc., which is heading lower again in premarket trading.

General Electric Co. beat expectations Friday, posting earnings of more than $3 billion. Profits at American Electric Power Company Inc. jumped 10 percent thanks to growing industrial demand.

And a new survey shows Germany's business optimism is up for the sixth straight month

[Associated Press]

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