Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Mixed, General Electric Q1 Profit Surges 16%

Following the market opening Friday, the Dow traded down 0.40 percent to 14,478.60 while the NASDAQ gained 0.21 percent to 3,172.88. The S&P also rose, gaining 0.16 percent to 1,544.10.

The S&P 500 looks to be struggling with 1,545 resistance as 1,535 acts as support below that. Its daily 50 EMA support lies at 1,540.99. The Dow loses its 14,500 support and looks to break below today. Its daily 50 EMA support lies at 14,356.57. Next up, the NASDAQ looks to be losing its 3,170 support, hitting the next level at 3,155, with daily 200 SMA below that at 3,079.37. Finally, the Russell is fighting with its 900 support, with 910 as resistance above that, with its daily 200 SMA below that at 854.42.

General Electric Co

reported a 16% rise in its first-quarter earnings. GE's quarterly profit climbed to $3.53 billion, or $0.34 per share, from $3.03 billion or $0.29 per share, in the year-earlier period. Its operating earnings came in at $0.39 per share. Its revenue came in flat at $35 billion. However, analysts were estimating earnings of $0.35 per share on revenue of $34.51 billion. Its costs and expenses declined 0.8%. Revenue from GE Capital jumped 1.7% to $11.54 billion.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

shot up 56.46 percent to $82.72 on drug data. Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill

got a boost, shooting up 5.58 percent to $346.69 after the company posted upbeat quarterly results. Celanese

was also up, gaining 12.50 percent to $47.51 after the company reported strong Q1 results.

Acacia Research

was down, falling 20.70 percent to $23.45 after the company reported Q1 results. Shares of Air Methods

were down 14.12 percent to $39.42 after the company warned of first-quarter loss. International Business Machines

shares tumbled 6.15 percent to $194.40 on Q1 earnings report.

In commodity news, oil traded up 0.40 percent to $88.08, while gold traded up 0.94 percent to $1,405.60. Silver traded up 0.82 percent Friday to $23.44, while copper fell 1.60 percent to $3.17.

European shares rose overnight, recovering slightly from their biggest weekly sell off since November, riding a wave of growth from the region's commodity producers. The Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.94 percent while the Italian FTSE MIB Index gained 1.74 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX rose 0.03 percent and the French CAC gained 1.01 percent and U.K. shares climbed 0.35 percent.

Fed Gov. Jeremy Stein is expected to speak at 12:00 p.m. ET.