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 , 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.
Morgan Stanley jumped after the banking giant swung to a profit in the fourth quarter, as earnings beat expectations on a surge in equity sales and trading, and strong margins in its wealth management business.
Intel reported earnings that edged past expectations, but shares tumbled after the chipmaker projected a bigger-than-expected increase in capital spending for 2013.
Schlumberger edged higher after the oilfield services company posted earnings that topped expectations on strong demand for oil and gas drilling services beyond North America.
AT&T slipped after the telecom company warned that it would take a fourth-quarter charge of about $10 billion and expects quarterly results to be pressured by high smartphone costs and damage from Hurricane Sandy.
Economic data from China showed the economy grew at a faster-than-expected 7.9 percent in the fourth quarter, indicating the world's second-largest economy was recovering from its recent slowdown.
In economic news, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey is due at 9.55 am New York Time. Analysts polled by Briefing.com expected a reading of 75.0, up from 72.9 in December.
Meanwhile, European and Asian shares edged higher after China posted better-than-expected gross domestic product (GDP) numbers. The world's second largest economy grew by 7.9 percent year-on-year in the fourth quarter. (Read More: China's Growth Speeds Up, but for How Long?)
—By CNBC's JeeYeon Park (Follow JeeYeon on Twitter: @JeeYeonParkCNBC)
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FRIDAY: Consumer Sentiment
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