U.S. stock index futures were muted on Friday, taking a breather after the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closed the previous session at record highs on upbeat earnings and economic data, while Netflix's standout profit failed to ignite enthusiasm.

Markets on Wall Street quietly hovered at record levels before the bell Friday with most of the attention on the latest corporate earnings reports and dealmaking.

Just a day after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit record territory, both indexes climbed to fresh highs once again on Friday, though weakness in American Express (AXP) has weighed on the Dow, leaving markets trading mixed.