Stock Market Today, January 27, 2026: U.S. stocks hold near highs on earnings optimism and gold trades above $5,000 per ounce as safe-haven demand rises amid global uncertainty and policy shifts.
Stock market screens reflect mixed global cues as U.S. indices hover near records and Indian markets climb on trade optimism (Photo: File)
Stock Market Today, January 27, 2026: U.S. stocks ended mostly higher where the Dow gained approximately 0.4%, the S&P 500 increased about 0.6%, the Nasdaq rallied around 0.7% and the NYSE inched up about 0.3%.
Globally, the markets are about to enter a critical phase that is replete with earnings announcements, policy guidance and trade trends, even as the U.S. stock market is close to its record highs, stock price fluctuations and policy surprises highlight the fact that market sentiment is still quite delicate despite being at such lofty levels.
U.S. equity futures indicated a stable background as traders lined up before a busy week that features significant technology earnings and a Fed meeting with overall market sentiment has been encouraged by the strength of growth stocks, despite the re-emergence of sector-specific risks.
| Index Name | Last Price | Change | % Change |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 49,298.05 | +199.34 | +0.41% |
| S&P 500 | 6,957.74 | +42.13 | +0.61% |
| Nasdaq Composite | 23,666.92 | +165.68 | +0.71% |
| NYSE Composite | 22,828.88 | +71.72 | +0.31% |
The Nasdaq is heavily weighted with technology stocks, led the way, as confidence in artificial intelligence and cloud stocks continues to build in anticipation of earnings reports from the leaders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was a laggard despite positive momentum elsewhere and the Dow’s weakness was primarily due to a sharp sell-off in UnitedHealth, a heavyweight in the index. Even a small positive move in technology-related stocks in the Dow was not sufficient to counteract the negative impact of the healthcare sector.
Amazon edged up 0.5%, Apple gained around 1.5%, Microsoft moved up 0.5%, while Salesforce led the Dow gainers with a strong gain of 3%, which helped mitigate some of the sector pressure from the healthcare stocks.
The S&P 500 index has shown resilience and is trading close to record levels where technology and communication services have helped offset weakness in defensive sectors. It seems that investors are ready to remain invested, but not across the board and are choosing to invest in companies with earnings visibility.
The Nasdaq Composite continued to lead, driven by advances in large-cap technology shares and salesforce rose close to 3% in pre-market trading, while Apple rose 1.5%. Microsoft and Amazon showed modest gains hopes and fears about upcoming earnings releases from Meta, Tesla and Apple remain the key drivers of the technology sector.
UnitedHealth shares dropped more than 16% as a policy surprise shook investors with a preliminary proposal from the Trump administration indicated that Medicare reimbursement levels in 2027 would remain little changed, defying expectations of a 5% increase.
The company did meet earnings forecasts of $2.11 per share and reported a 12% increase in revenue to $113.2 billion, but its forecast for the year was well off the mark. The reaction rippled across the industry with Humana shares down 16% and CVS Health shares down 13%.
Corporate earnings also drew attention and Mahindra Logistics swung to a Rs. 6 crore profit from a loss, while Motilal Oswal posted stable profits with modest EBITDA growth.
Even with the big gains in the index, the underlying volatility remains obstinately strong and the Iranian currency depreciating to 1.5 million rials per dollar highlights the stress points around the world, and the trade tensions and policy uncertainties keep the volatility simmering just below the surface. The ability of the market to absorb the shock, as evident in UnitedHealth, will be repeatedly tested in the days to come.
