Stocks dropped on Thursday as higher oil prices and a drop in multiple software names led to a broader market sell-off.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA  ) declined nearly 180 points to settle at 49,310.32, while the S&P 500 Index (SPY  ) lost 0.4% and the Nasdaq Composite (QQQ  ) fell 0.9% to close at 7,108.40 and 24,438.50, respectively.

Software names were impacted on Thursday by disappointing earnings from IBM (IBM  ) and ServiceNow (NOW  ), with the latter stating that the conflict in the Middle East is impacting its subscription revenue. IBM's soft outlook after its better-than-expected quarterly results also reignited investor concerns that artificial intelligence will disrupt its software business.

Analysts at Morgan Stanley and UBS -- which currently rate IBM shares at Equal Weight and Neutral, respectively -- raised these concerns on Thursday, with Morgan Stanley's Erik Woodring writing in a note that "we believe these was investor expectations that we could see upward pressure on full year estimates that didn't materialize this quarter."

Goldman Sachs and Bank of America had a different view of the business software giant, with both firm reiterating their Buy ratings of the stock following its earnings report.

"IBM's ongoing operational efficiency actions are allowing the company to deliver reliable, predictable earnings growth while offsetting dilution from M&A - and we expect free cash flow to move higher over the course of the year," Goldman analyst James Schneider wrote in a note.

Also affecting market moves, President Donald Trump on Thursday wrote in a Truth Social post that he has ordered the U.S. Navy to "shoot and kill any boat" placing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, pressuring the delicate ceasefire between U.S.-Iran that was extended this week.

Oil prices rose on Thursday, with international benchmark Brent crude settling above $105 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude futures rising 4% to close at $96.50 per barrel.

In corporate news, Meta Platforms (META  ) confirmed reports on Thursday that it will lay off 10% of its workforce -- impacting roughly 8,000 employees -- as it continues to invest in AI across its operations. The social media giant will begin the job cuts on May 20, according to a memo to employees reported by Bloomberg News, and is halting plans to hire for 6,000 open positions.

Meta's plans follow similar headcount reductions from Snap (SNAP  ), Amazon (AMZN  ) and Microsoft (MSFT  ) in recent months.

For Friday, market participants will turn their attention towards another round of earnings reports from companies including Intel (INTC  ) and Procter & Gamble (PG  ). A final monthly reading on consumer sentiment for April will also be released Friday morning.