On Thursday, January 29, 2026, the S&P 500 Index closed down 0.13%, marking a one-week low, while the Dow Jones Industrial Index rose 0.11%. The Nasdaq 100 Index fell 0.53%. Concerns over AI spending influenced the markets, particularly following Microsoft’s 10% decline due to disappointing cloud business growth.
Key economic indicators revealed a slight drop in weekly initial unemployment claims to 209,000, alongside a continuing claims decrease to 1.827 million, a six-month low. The trade deficit widened to $56.8 billion, exceeding expectations, while factory orders rose by 2.7%, the largest monthly increase in six months.
Meta Platforms saw a significant rise of over 10% after exceeding earnings forecasts, while Royal Caribbean Cruises and Southwest Airlines led other stocks higher with gains of over 18% following positive revenue forecasts. Conversely, Microsoft and Las Vegas Sands faced notable losses due to disappointing quarterly results.
