Mid-Morning Market Update: Markets Mostly Lower; GE Posts Rise In Profit

Following the market opening Friday, the Dow traded up 0.08 percent to 16,429.99 while the NASDAQ declined 0.30 percent to 4,205.97. The S&P also fell, dropping 0.23 percent to 1,841.71.

General Electric Co

reported a

profit. GE's quarterly net earnings climbed to $4.2 billion, or $0.41 per share, versus $4.01 billion, or $0.38 per share, in the year-ago period. Its operating earnings surged to $5.4 billion, or $0.53 per share. Its revenue jumped 3% to $40.38 billion. However, analysts were expecting earnings of $0.53 per share on revenue of $40.27 billion. GE's industrial segment profit jumped 12% to $5.5 billion.

Shares of NII Holdings

got a boost, shooting up 23.33 percent to $2.96 after the company announced an agreement with Apple

to bring iPhone to its Nextel Brazil operations. Electronic Arts

shot up 11.37 percent to $23.99 after CRT Capital initiated coverage on the stock with a Buy rating and a $26.00 price target. Skyworks Solutions

was also up, gaining 8.67 percent to $31.10 after the company reported upbeat Q1 earnings and issued strong Q2 forecast.

Shares of Silver Spring Networks

were down 23.19 percent to $18.05 after the company issued downbeat Q4 forecast. Credit Suisse downgraded the stock from Outperform to Neutral and cut the price target from $26.00 to $23.00. BJ's Restaurants

tumbled 7.11 percent to $28.35 on weak Q4 guidance. Stifel Nicolaus lowered the price target on the stock from $42.00 to $38.00. Intel

was down, falling 4.05 percent to $25.47 after the company reported

fourth-quarter results.

In commodity news, oil traded up 0.78 percent to $94.69, while gold traded up 0.66 percent to $1,248.40. Silver traded up 1.03 percent Friday to $20.26, while copper rose 0.49 percent to $3.36.

European shares were mostly higher today. The Spanish Ibex Index rose 0.03 percent, while Italy's FTSE MIB Index climbed 0.30 percent. Meanwhile, the German DAX rose 0.14 percent and the French CAC 40 declined 0.02 percent while U.K. shares gained 0.07 percent.

US housing starts dropped 9.8% to an annual rate of 999,000 in December. However, economists were expecting housing starts to drop to 985,000 in the month. US industrial production climbed 0.3% in December, versus economists' expectations for a 0.3% rise. The preliminary reading of the Reuter's/University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index fell to 80.40 in January, versus a prior reading of 82.50. However, economists were expecting a reading of 83.50.