Friday

U.S. blue-chip stocks climbed as encouraging earnings from General Electric boosted industrial stocks, overshadowing a handful of disappointing reports. GE led the Dow Jones Industrial Average, soaring 7.1%, after its fourth-quarter profit jumped 51% and revenue also beat Wall Street's estimates. In contrast, Bank of America fell 2% after a surprise fourth-quarter loss, weighed down by charges from pre-announced settlements and write-downs related to mortgage problems. Bank of America was accompanied by a few other disappointing reports, but they were unable to undermine the market's earnings-induced optimism. DJIA +49.04 Nasdaq -14.75 S&P 500 +3.09.