US stocks edged back from record levels on Friday, led by a slump in the technology sector after Microsoft and Google reported disappointing earnings.
European stocks chalked up a fourth straight week of gains but ended flat on Friday, dampened by fresh weakness in the technology sector as a mixed earnings season on both sides of the Atlantic intensified.
Asian shares inched up, led by Japanese stocks, while the yen briefly slipped after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was given a solid platform to continue his aggressive push to reflate the world's third biggest economy.