Stock Market Today: Dow, Russell 2000 Edge Up; Gold Stocks Cool, But Defense Firms, Meta, BKV Rally (Live Coverage)

Group 1 - Major stock indexes, including the Dow Jones Industrial Average, experienced a sharp decline after initially gaining, as Wall Street reacted to significant earnings reports [1] - Microsoft reported strong results for the December quarter but fell short of expectations for Azure growth, leading to a drop in its stock price [1] - Tesla's stock also declined as the market assessed its transition to a 'Transportation-As-A-Service' model and substantial capital expenditures [1] Group 2 - Meta Platforms saw strong gains, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighting a 'major AI acceleration' that contributed to a positive sales forecast [1] - ServiceNow's Q4 earnings results were disappointing, contributing to a sell-off in software stocks [1] - A notable oil stock surged by 24% in early 2026, indicating a positive trend in the oil sector amidst mixed market conditions [1]