On Thursday, the U.S. stock market experienced broad-based selling pressure, with the Nasdaq Composite Index losing over 200 points. At the market open, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined 0.56% to 49,225.33, while the Nasdaq fell 0.89% to 22,700.74. The S&P 500 also shed 0.74%, settling at 6,831.80.
Within sector movements, consumer staples managed a modest advance of 0.3%. Conversely, consumer discretionary equities led the downward momentum, retreating by 2.2% during trading. These sector divergences reflected uneven investor appetite amid the day's trading session.
Alphabet's Quarterly Results Outperform Expectations
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL) delivered a solid quarterly performance that exceeded analyst projections. For the fourth quarter, Alphabet reported revenue of $113.83 billion, surpassing the consensus estimate of $111.31 billion as noted by Benzinga Pro data. Earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter reached $2.82, outperforming the estimated $2.63 per share.
Despite Alphabet's upbeat earnings release following the market close on Wednesday, the broader market indices still faced downward pressure the next day, indicating cautious investor sentiment despite strong corporate earnings.
Selected Stock Movements: Notable Gains
- C3i Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CISS) shares surged 39% to close at $2.12 after an SEC filing revealed Imperial Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ: IMPP) holds an 81.9% stake in the company.
- Jet.AI Inc. (NASDAQ: JTAI) experienced a 35% jump in price, closing at $0.21, reflecting heightened interest in the stock.
- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE: AIM) climbed 30% to $1.37 following the release of data from an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial. The study evaluates the combination of AIM's drug ampligen with AstraZeneca’s anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor Imfinzi, targeting metastatic pancreatic cancer treatment.
Selected Stock Movements: Notable Declines
- Adial Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: ADIL) shares declined sharply by 15%, settling at $0.13.
- Cerence Inc. (NASDAQ: CRNC) saw a 39% decrease, falling to $6.63. This followed mixed financial results for the quarter and issuance of adjusted EPS guidance for fiscal year 2025 below analyst expectations.
- Ralliant Corp. (NYSE: RAL) dropped 32% to $38.39 after reporting fourth-quarter results and issuing first-quarter and fiscal year 2026 adjusted EPS guidance, both of which came in below estimates.
Commodity Prices and Global Market Overview
Commodities also showed weakness during the session. Oil prices dropped 2.4% to $63.58 per barrel. Gold decreased by 1.5% to $4,877.70 per ounce, silver suffered a steep 10% decline to $75.95, and copper fell 0.5% to $5.8225.
Globally, European markets finished lower. The eurozone STOXX 600 index declined 0.8%, Spain’s IBEX 35 dropped 1.4%, the UK’s FTSE 100 slid 0.3%, Germany’s DAX decreased 0.6%, and France’s CAC 40 was down 0.3%. Asia-Pacific markets were mixed with Japan's Nikkei falling 0.88%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng rising 0.14%, China’s Shanghai Composite down 0.64%, and India’s BSE Sensex down 0.60%.
Economic Data Highlights
Recent economic indicators from the U.S. reflected a moderation in the labor market. Job openings decreased by 386,000 to 6.542 million in December, notably below market expectations of 7.2 million. Additionally, initial weekly jobless claims rose by 22,000 to 231,000 in the last week of January, exceeding estimates of 212,000.