Late Night Market Recap

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  Night.Owl
 
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•  29 Jan 2026
 

•   BX  
   
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•   CMCSA  
   
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•   IBM  
   
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•   IP  
   
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•   META  
   
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$MSFT slid nearly 10% despite reporting a double beat on earnings and revenue. While revenue reached $81.3 billion and earnings per share hit $4.14, investors were spooked by a massive 66% surge in capital expenditure aimed at AI infrastructure. The market is increasingly demanding immediate proof of monetization for these multi-billion dollar bets, especially as Azure growth showed a slight deceleration.

$CMCSA managed to buck the broader tech weakness, moving higher by nearly 3% after delivering a solid beat on fourth-quarter earnings. Even though the company continues to face headwinds in its core broadband business due to 5G competition, the strength of its media and theme park divisions provided a necessary cushion. Investors appeared encouraged by the record free cash flow of $19.2 billion for the full year, signaling a resilient capital return strategy.

$META provided the session primary fireworks, surging over 10% and leading the Nasdaq 100 after a blockbuster earnings report. Mark Zuckerberg received a clear green light from Wall Street to continue aggressive AI spending, as the core advertising business remains exceptionally robust. With revenue growing 24% to $60 billion and a massive $6 billion deal with Corning to secure fiber infrastructure, the social media giant is effectively proving that big spending can coexist with massive profits.

$MO experienced a difficult session, with shares dropping over 5% following a miss on quarterly earnings estimates. The tobacco giant is feeling the heat as cigarette volumes declined nearly 8% in the fourth quarter, a trend that is proving difficult to offset even with steady pricing gains. While the dividend yield has now crossed the 7% mark, providing a potential floor for income seekers, the persistent struggle in traditional smokeable products remains a heavy weight on the stock.

$TSCO saw its stock retreat by more than 7% today after its comparable store sales and top-line results failed to meet analyst projections. The rural lifestyle retailer is navigating a cautious consumer environment, leading to a miss on both earnings and revenue for the quarter. While management initiated a forward-looking 2026 outlook and plans to open 100 new stores, the immediate reaction was one of disappointment as discretionary spending pressures continue to bite.

$IP witnessed a significant sell-off of over 6% as the company reported a surprise quarterly loss that caught many traders off guard. Despite beating on revenue with over $6 billion in sales, the adjusted operating loss per share was a far cry from the expected profits. In a bold strategic move to unlock value, the company announced it will split its packaging units, though the initial response focused more on the earnings miss and rising cost base than the long-term restructuring potential.

$SNDK demand for data center storage continues to serve as a tailwind. This surge reflects a broader optimism in the memory sector, as enterprise AI workloads require massive upgrades in storage capacity. While the stock remains volatile, the demand from cloud service providers is creating a more stable floor for the business than many analysts anticipated heading into the quarter.

$WDC hit new all-time highs earlier in the week but saw a slight cooling today with a marginal 0.46% dip as it entered its earnings window. The company delivered a solid beat with earnings of $2.13 per share against a $1.95 estimate, yet the stock saw some profit-taking following its recent historic run. Traders are keeping a close watch on how the storage giant manages its margins as it navigates the competitive landscape of hard drives and flash memory.

$V climbed roughly 1.5% after reported that holiday spending volumes drove a first-quarter earnings beat. Net revenue rose 15% year-over-year to $10.9 billion, and processed transactions hit a staggering 69 billion. The ability to maintain high growth rates in a fluctuating macroeconomic environment continues to make it a favorite for institutional portfolios, especially as it leans into stablecoin and innovative payment tech.

$IBM emerged as a top performer in the Dow, gaining over 5% following a powerful earnings announcement that highlighted its growing AI book of business. Total revenue grew 12% to $19.69 billion, significantly outpacing estimates as software and infrastructure demand surged. With its generative AI business now topping $12.5 billion, the "Big Blue" turnaround appears to be gaining serious momentum, supported by several analyst price target raises.

$SAP suffered its worst single-day decline since 2020, plunging over 15% after its cloud revenue forecast for 2026 disappointed the market. While the current results were largely in line with expectations, the admission by the CFO that the cloud slowdown is worse than anticipated sparked a massive exit. Investors are increasingly sensitive to any cracks in the cloud migration story, particularly as capital rotates into other areas of the tech sector.

$BX reported what CEO Stephen Schwarzman called the best results in the firm 40-year history, yet the stock still slipped roughly 2.6% in a "sell the news" reaction. Assets under management reached a record $1.27 trillion, and distributable earnings of $1.75 per share handily beat the $1.53 estimate. Despite the record-breaking inflows and a variable dividend of $1.49, the stock felt the pressure of the broader market sell-off and concerns over institutional homebuyer regulations.

$RCL jumping more than 18% today after reporting massive earnings growth and an optimistic outlook for 2026. The cruise operator is benefiting from a record start to the WAVE season, with bookings and onboard spending reaching all-time highs. With adjusted earnings per share expected to climb as high as $18.10 next year, the company is proving that the demand for high-end vacation experiences is far from saturated.

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