Wall Street edged back from its all-time high on Friday, as U.S. stock indexes drifted following mixed profit reports from big companies. The S&P 500 barely budged and slipped by less than 0.1%, a day after rallying within 0.

NEW YORK — Most U.S. stocks fell Wednesday after a report showed inflation is unexpectedly worsening for Americans . The S&P 500 dropped 0.3%, though it had been on track for a much worse loss of 1.1% at the start of trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average sank 225 points, or 0.5%, while the Nasdaq composite edged higher by less than 0.1%.

For the better part of the last two-plus years, the bulls have been in control on Wall Street. The mature stock-fueled Dow Jones Industrial Average, broad-based S&P 500, and growth-focused Nasdaq Composite have all reached numerous record-closing highs.