Wall Street loses ground after weak data

US stock indexes were mostly lower during Wednesday trading, with the exception of the Dow Jones, following the release of weak economic data.

Markets are still tracking corporate earnings results. AMD shares fell 13% to $210.9 after the company issued disappointing financial guidance, despite reporting record revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025.

Alphabet is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings after today’s session close, while Amazon is due to release its results tomorrow.

Government data released today showed that the US private sector added 22,000 jobs last month, well below expectations for a gain of 45,000, signaling continued slowing in the labor market at the start of 2026.

Due to the ongoing government shutdown, the monthly US jobs report for January — which had been scheduled for release this coming Friday — was announced yesterday as postponed.

In trading, as of 16:30 GMT, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8%, or 390 points, to 49,635. The S&P 500 declined 0.2%, or 12 points, to 6,905, while the Nasdaq Composite fell 1.0%, or 240 points, to 23,016.