Washington  - General Electric Co, the world's biggest maker of power-plant turbines and jet engines, said Friday that first- quarter profits were pulled down in part due to turmoil in the financial markets.

GE reduced its full-year forecast, saying the turmoil had hindered its sale of assets.

Profit from continuing operations declined to 4.36 billion dollars, or 44 cents a share, from 4.9 billion dollars, or 48 cents, a year ago, Fairfield, Connecticut-based GE said in a statement. The figures trailed analysts' expectations.

Revenue rose 8 percent to 44.2 billion dollars. GE gets more than half its sales from outside the US.(dpa)