US stocks fluctuated on Friday, hovering near record highs as signs of strength in the economy provided the buoyancy that Netflix's (NFLX) earnings report lacked. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq trimmed early gains after the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey showed one-year inflation expectations plunging to 4.

The stock market keeps climbing even though expectations for Fed rate cuts are falling. That’s not what usually happens.

With Wall Street's surge to record highs, the U.S. stock market looks nearly as expensive as ever, and investors are debating whether the lofty valuations are a bearish signal or justified by the technology-heavy market's profit outlook.