U.S. MARKETS:

* S&P 500 futures down 0.3% to 2,725.25

* Brent futures up 1.2% to $67.41/bbl

* Gold spot up 0.3% to $1,216.36

* U.S. Dollar Index little changed at 96.93


GLOBAL NEWS:

Tech is struggling. Disappointments last night on the quarterly reports of Nvidia and Applied Materials. In particular, Nvidia was caught up by the slowdown in the bitcoin mining industry.

GE sells. General Electric agreed to sell a portfolio of healthcare equipment leases and loans for $1.5 billion to Florida-based lender TIAA Bank.

Axa. The insurer recovered $1.2 billion from the secondary placement of Axa Equitable shares at $20.25 each. An option granted to banks allows them to place other securities. If exercised, Axa would reduce its stake in its subsidiary from 72.2 to 57.5%.

Not true. Responding to a rumor seen by Bloomberg, Credit Suisse denies planning a thousand extra job cuts.

True. Wells Fargo cuts 1,000 jobs in the United States.

VW breaks its piggy bank. Volkswagen's board could vote today on a multi-billion dollar investment plan for electric cars.

Verdict on February 20. UBS lawyers are asking for a dismissal in the trial for tax fraud in France. The prosecutor requested a fine of €3.7 billion.

FB wants to grow. Facebook has unveiled a plan to fight against "inappropriate" content.

XXL. Intel expands its share buyback program by $15 billion. The previous authorization retained an unused pocket of $4.7 billion.

Tesla. The company will send its first Model 3s to China in the spring.

PG&E. Things are going a little better for PG&E, after a clarification of the regulator on bankruptcy. PG&E rallied as much as 49 percent in extended trading Thursday after the head of the California Public Utilities Commission said he can’t imagine allowing the state’s largest utility to go into bankruptcy as it faces billions of dollars in potential liability from deadly wildfires.

Vallourec plunges 24%. After disappointing sales, shares of the maker of steel tubes for oil and gas industry tumbled.

Trafigura financing Nyrstar? Trafigura Group and a group of banks are in advanced discussions to provide new financing for zinc giant Nyrstar NV, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg.