Stocks consolidated further on Friday as absence of any big trigger forced investors’ hand to stay cautious, with both Sensex and Nifty closing on a flat note with a positive leaning. Unabated FII selling due to premium valuation, lacklustre earnings season and geopolitical headwinds remained the sticking points for the market. Worries on the North Korea front persisted, too. However, the good part was inflows by domestic institutional investors (DIIs) and strength in the rupee, which offset the downside. The week registered the first fall in four for both the benchmarks.The session was marked by strong fluctuations. The 30- share index, after opening on a firm footing, faltered and closed with a meagre gain of 24.78 points -- 0.08 per cent -- at 31,687.52.