Dow Hits Record as Retail Sales Stall | Closing Bell

Market Overview - Major equity averages experienced a decline towards the end of the trading day, despite the S&P 500 hitting a record high earlier in the session [2][5] - The S&P 500 closed down approximately 0.3%, the Nasdaq down about 0.6%, while the Dow saw a slight increase of 0.1% [6] - Trading volume in the S&P 500 was down 15% from the ten-day average, indicating a cautious market sentiment [4] Economic Indicators - Investors are awaiting a significant jobs report, which is expected to influence market sentiment and the Federal Reserve's decisions [5] - The upcoming inflation report on Friday is also anticipated to provide insights into the U.S. economy [5] Company Performances - Datadog's stock rose nearly 14% after beating expectations in its fourth-quarter results, despite a weaker full-year forecast [10] - Spotify saw a significant increase of almost 15%, attributed to adding 38 million new users, reaching a total of 751 million [12] - European Wax Center's stock surged 43% after agreeing to be taken private by General Atlantic, valuing the company at approximately $330 million [14][15] Notable Declines - Alphabet's shares fell 1.8% after raising nearly $3 billion in debt, highlighting the funding needs of tech companies [16] - Coca-Cola's stock declined as the company projected organic sales growth of 4-5% for 2026, slightly below analyst expectations [17] - Wealth management firms, including Charles Schwab and Raymond James, experienced declines of 7.4% and 8.8%, respectively, following the launch of a new tax planning offering by Altruist [18] Earnings Reports - Ford reported an adjusted EPS of $0.13, below the estimated $0.18, and projected adjusted EV for 2026 between $8 billion to $10 billion [20] - Robinhood's stock dropped approximately 7% in after-hours trading after its fourth-quarter net revenue missed analyst estimates [21] - Lyft's stock fell about 15% in after-hours trading despite authorizing a new share buyback, as the outlook for the first quarter was lower than expected [23][24] - Zillow Group met revenue estimates but provided a first-quarter revenue outlook that was below analyst expectations [25]