Business Today: GE, Microsoft earnings lift stock futures

Click to View in Browser 04/20/2012 GE, Microsoft earnings lift stock futures NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock index futures rose on Friday, indicating the S&P 500 may snap a 2-day decline, after better-than expected results from Microsoft and General Electric Co propelled a solid earnings season. Emerging powers ready to give IMF billions WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Major emerging powers stood ready on Friday to pledge money to bolster the International Monetary Fund's crisis-fighting war chest, though Brazil was holding out for promises that their voting power at the global lender would increase. GE profit, revenue top Wall Street forecast (Reuters) - General Electric Co topped Wall Street's profit and revenue forecasts for the first quarter, helped by strong demand for energy equipment and railroad locomotives. Big manufacturers more likely to embrace "Made in USA": survey NEW YORK (Reuters) - Large U.S. manufacturers are much more likely than their smaller peers to move production to the United States from China, according to a survey. German business morale up for sixth straight month BERLIN (Reuters) - German business sentiment unexpectedly rose for the sixth month in a row in April in a sign that Europe's largest economy continues to outpace peers and shrug off persistent worries about the euro zone debt crisis. Apple announces 500 new jobs in Ireland DUBLIN (Reuters) - Apple is to hire 500 people in Ireland in the latest boost to the indebted euro zone country's multinational sector, one of the few bright spots in a struggling economy. Chesapeake CEO sued by shareholder over loans (Reuters) - Chesapeake Energy Corp Chief Executive Aubrey McClendon has been sued by a shareholder who cited a Reuters report showing that he had borrowed as much as $1.1 billion against his stake in thousands of company wells. Microsoft rises as better PC sales boost profit (Reuters) - Shares of Microsoft Corp rose 4 percent in premarket trading on Friday, after the world's largest software maker reported a quarterly profit ahead of expectations on better-than-expected sales of personal computers. Nestle sees tough 2012 after price hikes help sales ZURICH (Reuters) - Nestle , the world's biggest food group, warned 2012 would be a tough year due to sluggish growth in the developed world as emerging market demand and price rises helped first-quarter underlying sales growth hold up better than expected. U.S. sales boost McDonald's 1st-quarter profit (Reuters) - McDonald's Corp reported higher quarterly profit on Friday, paced by strong sales at established restaurants in the United States and Europe. Related Video Titanic shipyard goes green Emerging markets lift Nestle Economic News Global growth seen subdued, still heavily reliant on Asia Emerging powers ready to give IMF billions A daily digest of breaking business news, coverage of the US economy, major corporate news and the financial markets. Register Today   The latest Reuters articles on M&A, IPOs, private equity, hedge funds and regulatory updates delivered to your inbox each day. Register Today   » MORE NEWSLETTERS - 3 Times Square New York, NY 10036 USA © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Ensure delivery of Reuters Newsmails, add mail@nl.reuters.com to your address book. Details Subscribe to other Reuters newsletters. Unsubscribe from this newsletter. Follow us on Twitter Friend us on Facebook Forward to a friend