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The GE move is the biggest commercial real
estate deal since Blackstone's acquisition of office landlord
Equity Office Properties Trust in 2007 for $39 billion,
including debt. GE shares jumped 6.3 percent to $27.36 before
the opening bell.
The S&P 500 <.SPX> is up 1.2 percent for the week and is on
track for a second straight week of gains, helped by a pickup in
merger activity. Investors are also bracing for a pickup in
quarterly results after the corporate earnings season kicked off
earlier this week.
Data expected at 8:30 a.m. EDT includes import prices for March,
which are expected to decline 0.3 percent.
Consumers flocked to Apple Inc's <AAPL.O> stores around the
world on Friday to get the first close-up look at the tech
giant's smartwatch, which the company expects will be its next
runaway hit. Still, Apple shares were off 0.5 percent at $125.99
in premarket trading.
PayPal, eBay Inc's <EBAY.O> electronic payments division, said
the two firms had agreed that eBay would not reduce the volume
of transactions it channels through PayPal, while continuing to
get better rates for its merchants for five years after the two
split.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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