The stock market experienced a mixed day today. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq displayed varying performance, with investors feeling cautious following the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain the federal funds rate between 3.5% and 3.75%. This comes amid solid economic growth, although inflation remains at moderate levels, according to the latest report from the Federal Open Market Committee.
There’s a certain tension in the air as investors await comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. A recent Justice Department subpoena concerning Powell’s testimony has added to the unease surrounding the central bank’s political pressures.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average hardly budged, nudging up 0.02% to close at 49,015.60. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq gained 0.17%, ending the day at 23,857.44, but the S&P 500 dipped slightly, down 0.01% to 6,978.03.
Several stocks drew interest from retail traders and investors throughout the day.
Meta Platforms saw its stock slide by 0.63%, closing at $668.73, even though it experienced an intraday high of $677.68 and a low of $666.10. The stock has a 52-week range from $796.25 to $479.80, but after hours, it climbed 6.6% to $713.06.
For context, Meta is projecting first-quarter revenues between $53.5 billion and $56.5 billion, with full-year 2026 spending estimated between $162 billion and $169 billion. They also plan on capital expenditures ranging from $115 billion to $135 billion as they continue investing in infrastructure and AI.
IBM’s stock rose slightly by 0.13%, closing at $294.16. It saw an intraday high of $295.95 and a low of $291.26, sitting within a 52-week range of $324.90 to $214.50. In after-hours trading, shares increased by 7.7% to $316.85.
IBM reported fourth-quarter revenue of $19.69 billion, surpassing the expected $19.23 billion, and adjusted EPS came in at $4.52, also above projections. Revenue grew by 12% year-over-year, with software up 14% and infrastructure rising 21%, largely due to robust demand for mainframes.
Looking ahead, IBM anticipates full-year 2026 sales may exceed expectations at around $70.91 billion, and free cash flow could rise by about $1 billion, boosting investor confidence in the stock.
In contrast, ServiceNow’s stock fell 1.64%, closing at $129.62, with an intraday range showing a high of $133.67 and a low of $129.14—a 52-week span from $239.62 to $123.78. Shares took a further hit in after-hours trading, dropping 5.3% to $122.77.
ServiceNow reported fourth-quarter revenue of approximately $3.57 billion, alongside an adjusted EPS of 92 cents, which beat expectations. Their subscription revenue climbed 21% year-over-year, with remaining performance obligations increasing by 26.5%, totaling $28.2 billion.
The company projects subscription revenue between $15.53 billion and $15.57 billion for 2026, indicating a yearly growth rate around 21%.
Carvana’s stock, however, suffered a significant decline of 14.17%, closing at $410.04. It peaked at $477.59 during the day and dropped to a low of $374.55, within a 52-week range of $486.89 to $148.25.
The drop followed a report from Gotham City Research alleging the company had overstated its expected revenues for 2023-2024 by over $1 billion, also suggesting significant undisclosed support from DriveTime. Carvana has vehemently denied these claims, calling them inaccurate and misleading.
Tesla’s stock slipped slightly by 0.10% to close at $430.46, with an intraday high of $438.26 and a low of $430.10, within a 52-week range from $498.82 to $214.25. However, after-hours trading saw a modest rise of 2.16% to $439.74.
The increase followed the announcement of Tesla’s fourth-quarter profit of 50 cents a share, which exceeded expectations of 45 cents. The company generated $24.9 billion in revenue, slightly above forecasts, but reported a 16% drop in vehicle deliveries year-over-year with a total of 418,227 vehicles.
Looking forward, Tesla plans to kick off North American production of the Tesla Semi and CyberCab within the first half of 2026, along with plans to reveal the third-generation Optimus robot in the first quarter.
According to the Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Tesla stock ranks in the 4th percentile for value and 73rd percentile for momentum.
