| General Electric (GE), in a move to become a pure play industrial company, is selling the bulk of the assets contained in its GE Capital unit and returning most of the proceeds from that disposition to shareholders in the form of a $50 billion share buyback. (CNBC) |
| GE's move out of financial services would be viewed as positive if it pushes the company into new strategic opportunities in the future, analysts said. (CNBC) |
| U.S. stock futures were higher in early trading, after Wall Street closed mostly higher Thursday. The Dow and S&P 500 were seeking their first back-to-back weekly gains since February. (CNBC) |
| The euro moved lower early this morning, after sinking below $1.07 on Thursday for the first time since March 19. The U.S. dollar index against a basket of currencies is trading near three-week highs. (Reuters) |
| After a rollercoaster week, U.S. oil prices were looking to close out their fourth straight weekly gain, despite early losses Friday. But the recent bounce has done little to make a dent in the 50 percent decline since June. (Reuters) |
| From Sydney to Tokyo to London, enthusiasts were braving long lines to preview the eagerly anticipated Apple Watch, which became available for pre-orders overnight. An appointment is necessary to even try one on. (CNBC) |
| The Apple Watch went on pre-sale online at 3 a.m. ET Friday, and within less than three hours, almost all of the models were out to late May or later for availability. (CNBC) |
| Samsung is trying to steal a little of Apple's limelight with the launch of the Galaxy S6 smartphone Friday, on the back of an earnings report this week that was slightly better than expected. (CNBC) |
| Amazon (AMZN) has won approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to test delivery drones outdoors, less than a month after the e-commerce powerhouse blasted regulators for being slow in granting permission. (Reuters) |
| Federal aviation inspectors stepped up oversight of United Continental (UAL) two months ago, citing risks from repeated violations of mandatory pilot qualification and scheduling requirements. (WSJ-subscription) |
| About 30,000 cases of Sabra hummus sold nationwide are being recalleddue to a possible Listeria contamination. Sabra is a joint venture of PepsiCo(PEP) and Israel-based food and beverage company Strauss. (AP) |
| As world leaders gather in Panama today, President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul Castro, whose expected encounter at the Summit of the Americas, would mark a historic moment. (AP) |
| A dozen or so Republican presidential hopefuls will address the National Rifle Association's annual convention today. Two notable figures, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, won't be there. (USA Today) |
