A record crude oil price at $126.74 per barrel kept inflation worries in focus despite an 8.2 percent jump in U.S. housing starts in April.

By close Friday, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 15.80 points, or 0.12 percent, to 12,976.86. The Standard and Poor's 500 index gained 0.79 points, or 0.06 percent, to 1,424.36. The Nasdaq composite index fell 4.80 points, or 0.19 percent, to 2,528.36.

The 10-year U.S. Treasury note fell 9/32 to yield 3.845 percent.

On the New York Stock Exchange 1,598 stocks advanced and 1,480 declined on a volume of 1.042 billion shares traded.

The dollar fell. The euro traded at $1.5592 from Thursday's $1.5464 and the dollar traded at 104.10 yen from Thursday's 104.60 yen.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei index dropped 32.26 points to 14,219.48, off 0.23 percent.

In London, the FTSE 100 index gained 41.20 points, or 0.66 percent, to 6,293.00.