U.S. stocks ended on a mixed note following the latest signals that the U.S. economy continues to hum. The S&P 500 closed little changed Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4% to the all-time high it set the day before,

U.S. stocks were pulling back from record territory in the final hour of trade Thursday as investors looked forward to big banks kicking off earnings season in earnest. "Inflation is ebbing lower, but it's going to take some time," said Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, in a phone interview.

U.S. stocks drifted around their record heights following the latest signals that the U.S. economy continues to hum