Stocks pulled back on Wall Street, easing the S&P 500 below the record high it set a day earlier, but still closed out their best month this year.

The S&P 500 gave up 0.7% Friday as investors backed away from technology and communications companies.

The market has been climbing this month as investors remain optimistic that the pandemic is slowly and steadily coming to a close.

The S&P 500 rose 5.2% in April, its best monthly gain since November 2020, when President Joe Biden was elected.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note slipped to 1.63%