Stock markets delivered a mixed bag of results on February 10, 2026, as investors navigated a landscape shaped by volatile trading, fresh earnings reports, and anticipation ahead of key economic data releases. The Dow Jones Industrial Average managed to eke out a 0.1% gain, notching its third-straight record high at 50,188, according to Kiplinger and Investor's Business Daily. But the celebration was tempered: the S&P 500 dipped 0.3% to 6,941 and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.6% to 23,102, snapping short winning streaks for both indexes.
Trading activity was anything but predictable. The session saw back-and-forth action, with small caps experiencing choppy movement and the Russell 2000 index losing 0.4% by the closing bell. Volume was higher on the Nasdaq and lower on the New York Stock Exchange compared to Monday, reflecting mixed sentiment among investors. Rising stocks slightly outpaced falling issues on the Nasdaq, while the NYSE saw winners outnumber losers by a healthy 5-to-3 margin, as reported by Investor's Business Daily.
Amid this uncertainty, several key economic indicators loomed large. The market's mood was influenced by a weak December retail sales report, which showed sales were virtually unchanged from November to December 2025, up just 2.4% year over year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This tepid performance fell short of economists’ expectations, who had forecast a 0.4% monthly rise. The report, delayed due to last fall’s record-long government shutdown, suggested that “spending surely stalled” in December, as Chip West, director of category strategy at RR Donnelley, noted via Kiplinger. He added, however, that robust sales earlier in the quarter indicated consumers had likely gotten an early start on holiday shopping, taking advantage of retailer deals.
Despite the disappointing retail data, the report did little to shift expectations regarding the Federal Reserve’s next move on interest rates. According to CME Group FedWatch, the prevailing bet is for the Fed to keep rates unchanged in March and April, with the next cut likely in June 2026. Still, traders were keenly awaiting the January jobs report, released February 11, 2026, and the first Consumer Price Index (CPI) report of the year, both of which could sway the Fed’s decision-making timeline. S&P 500 futures rose modestly by 0.1% on February 10, while the dollar fell to its lowest level of the month, retreating for a fourth consecutive day and weakening against all major peers. Ten-year Treasury yields held at their lowest point in about a month, closing around 4.14%, after money markets raised the odds of an April rate cut, as Bloomberg and Kiplinger reported.
Meanwhile, fears of artificial-intelligence disruption weighed on European stocks, adding another layer of complexity to the global market outlook. Oil prices also slipped, settling at around $64.20 a barrel, while bitcoin dropped to approximately $68,800, reflecting broader risk-off sentiment in some corners of the market.
Corporate earnings played a starring role in the day’s drama, with several notable companies reporting results that drove significant stock swings. Datadog soared nearly 17%, leading the S&P 500, after the cloud-based security platform posted fourth-quarter earnings up 20.4% year over year to 59 cents per share, and revenue that jumped 29.2% to $953 million. The company also reported strong customer growth in 2025, with a 30% increase in customers spending $1 million or more annually, and a 19% rise in those spending $100,000 or more. While Datadog’s full-year revenue guidance of $4.08 billion slightly missed Wall Street’s forecast, its top- and bottom-line beats were enough to spark investor enthusiasm, as highlighted by Kiplinger and Investor's Business Daily.
Quest Diagnostics was another standout, surging 7% after delivering a fourth-quarter profit of $2.42 per share, up 9%, on revenue of $2.81 billion. The diagnostics testing firm also provided full-year 2026 earnings and sales forecasts that topped analysts’ consensus, and its board approved a 7.5% dividend hike—marking the 15th consecutive year the company has raised its payout. Kiplinger contributor Dan Burrows remarked, “Shares in companies that raise their payouts like clockwork decade after decade can produce superior total returns (price change plus dividends) over the long run.” He added that such a track record “demonstrates both its financial resilience and its commitment to returning cash to shareholders.”
Other earnings news brought less cheer. Coca-Cola slipped 1.5% after reporting a 6% year-over-year increase in fourth-quarter earnings to 58 cents per share, but only a 2% rise in revenue to $11.8 billion. This marked the beverage giant’s first quarterly revenue miss since Q4 2020. CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson downgraded Coca-Cola to Hold from Buy, explaining, “Following the stock’s strong performance so far in 2026, we view KO’s risk/reward potential as more balanced and its valuation as fair.” He acknowledged expected benefits from a weaker U.S. dollar but cautioned that positives were now largely priced in.
Elsewhere, Masco jumped more than 9% after posting higher-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, even though sales missed projections. The home improvement products maker also unveiled a $2 billion share buyback program and raised its dividend, signaling confidence in its future. Entegris climbed over 8% following robust quarterly results, while Ichor Holdings rocketed more than 38% after beating earnings and revenue expectations and providing a bullish first-quarter outlook. Nektar Therapeutics vaulted nearly 42% after announcing positive study results for its dermatitis drug, rezpegaldesleukin, and Credo Technology Group soared almost 13% after raising its fiscal third-quarter revenue outlook. In contrast, Sandisk tumbled nearly 7%, extending its losses to 25% from its all-time high over just five trading sessions. Gilat Satellite Networks also plunged 22% despite topping profit and revenue estimates, as investors were disappointed by its full-year 2026 outlook.
Looking at the broader market, exchange-traded funds mirrored the day’s mixed results, with the Invesco QQQ Trust falling 0.5% and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF losing 0.3%. Within the Nasdaq 100, Marriott International and Shopify were among the top gainers, while Western Digital declined. On the Dow, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia each notched gains of 0.6% or more, while Apple slipped 0.3% in premarket trading.
As investors digested the day’s developments, attention remained fixed on the upcoming jobs and inflation reports—critical data points that could shape the Federal Reserve’s next moves and, by extension, the trajectory of global markets. With economic signals flashing both caution and optimism, and corporate earnings continuing to surprise, Wall Street’s mood was one of cautious anticipation. The week ahead promises more twists as traders, analysts, and everyday investors alike await clarity on the path forward.
For now, the market’s mixed signals reflect a world in flux—one where every data point and earnings report can tip the scales, and where the only certainty is that uncertainty remains the order of the day.