U.S. stock index futures were narrowly mixed as investors digested a batch of corporate earnings.
Dow component General Electric rallied after the conglomerate posted earnings and revenue that beat estimates as the maker of jet engines and wind turbines looks to expand in developing markets. GE is a minority owner of NBC Universal, the parent company of CNBC.
With businesses spanning multiple industries, GE's results will serve as a bellwether for other S&P 500 companies, said Art Hogan of Lazard Capital Partners.
"It's attached to so many different verticals in the S&P 500. When you have General Electric that is a pretty good window into what the rest of the S&P is doing in terms of supply and demand," Hogan said.