U.S. equity futures were trading flat to higher on Friday as industrial giant General Electric ( GE ) dominated the news flow with the sale of assets and massive planned payouts to shareholders. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average were more solidly in the black while the Nasdaq was pointing to a flat open.

In economic data out Friday, at 8:30 a.m. E.T. export prices are expected to have slipped another 0.2% in March from a 0.1% decline in February. The consensus range is between a 0.8% drop and a 0.3% increase, according to data compiled by Econoday. Import prices are seen slipping 0.3% from a 0.4% increase in February. The consensus range is a wide 1.1% drop to a 0.5% increase.

Meanwhile, GE surged over 8% in recent pre-market trade, to a six and a half year high if the gain holds into regular trading, after announcing the sale of real estate assets, a plan to pay out $ 35 billion in dividends from GE Capital a $ 50 billion share buyback program.