NEW YORK — The narrative surrounding the "AI trade" has taken a decisive turn as of February 18, 2026. After a tumultuous start to the month that saw the S&P 500 retreat from its historic 7,000-point milestone, a wave of dip-buyers has flooded back into the technology sector. The
The global financial community is at a standstill today, February 18, 2026, as the Federal Reserve prepares to release the minutes from its January FOMC meeting at 2:00 PM ET. Investors are scouring the upcoming report for any indication of when the central bank might resume its rate-cutting cycle,
Shares of insulin delivery company Insulet Corporation (NASDAQ:PODD) jumped 5.6% in the afternoon session after the company posted strong fourth-quarter 2025 financial results that beat Wall Street's expectations.
Shares of building products manufacturer JELD-WEN (NYSE:JELD) jumped 25.8% in the afternoon session after it reported fourth-quarter financial results that showed better-than-expected operational performance despite a decline in sales.
Shares of hospitality company Travel + Leisure (NYSE:TNL)
jumped 7.8% in the afternoon session after the company reported fourth-quarter 2025 results that beat Wall Street's expectations and provided a strong outlook for 2026. The hospitality company's revenue increased 5.7% year-on-year to $1.03 billion, exceeding analyst forecasts. Its adjusted earnings per share of $1.83 and adjusted EBITDA of $272 million also came in ahead of consensus estimates. Furthermore, Travel + Leisure guided for full-year 2026 adjusted EBITDA to be higher than analysts had projected. Despite the company's operating margin turning negative for the quarter, investors appeared to focus on the better-than-expected results and positive outlook.
Shares of used automotive vehicle retailer Carmax (NYSE:KMX)
jumped 7.4% in the afternoon session after an analyst at Baird raised the company's price target to $48 from $42. The analyst firm maintained its Outperform rating on the stock.
Shares of fast-food chain Wendy’s (NASDAQ:WEN)
jumped 17.1% in the afternoon session after activist investor Nelson Peltz stated in a regulatory filing that the fast-food chain's stock was undervalued and that his firm was exploring strategic options, including a potential takeover.
As of February 18, 2026, the long-predicted "Great Sector Rotation" has finally arrived with a vengeance, fundamentally altering the landscape of the U.S. equity markets. For years, the "Magnificent Seven" and a handful of AI-driven software giants dominated investor portfolios, pushing market-cap-weighted indices to dizzying heights while leaving the
Wall Street’s primary measure of market anxiety, the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), surged to a fresh year-to-date high of 22.96 on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The spike sent a clear signal through global markets: the period of relative calm enjoyed by technology-led indices is under serious threat. As
The U.S. labor market kicked off 2026 with a surprising burst of strength, adding 130,000 nonfarm payrolls in January and handily beating economist projections of 70,000. This "sizzling" report, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on February 11, 2026, has effectively recalibrated the financial landscape for
The financial world was jolted this February as Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) issued a stark warning regarding a widening "inflation disconnect" that could derail market hopes for an early 2026 interest rate pivot. Despite a seemingly cooling Consumer Price Index (CPI) report that suggested inflation was drifting toward 2.4%
The Federal Reserve released the minutes from its January 27–28, 2026, policy meeting today, revealing a central bank that is increasingly confident in its ability to navigate a "soft landing" for the U.S. economy. According to the documents released on February 18, 2026, the Federal Open Market Committee
As the global financial markets prepare for the most anticipated corporate event of the year, all eyes are on Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA). On February 25, 2026, the semiconductor titan is scheduled to report its fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter earnings, a report that is expected to serve as a definitive health check
As the mid-point of February 2026 approaches, the financial landscape is undergoing a dramatic reconfiguration. Investors are aggressively pivoting away from the high-multiple technology giants that fueled the 2024–2025 bull run, opting instead for the perceived safety and steady income of defensive sectors. This "Great Rotation" was punctuated on
In a landscape where the "AI tax" has begun to weigh heavily on the balance sheets of Silicon Valley’s elite, Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the race to monetize artificial intelligence. Reporting its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings in late January 2026, the social media
The era of "growth at any cost" in the artificial intelligence sector met a harsh reckoning on January 29, 2026. Following its Q2 FY2026 earnings report, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) saw its stock price plunge 11% in a single trading session, wiping out a staggering $357 billion in market capitalization.
In a move that has sent shockwaves through the technology sector and broader financial markets, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL) has unveiled a staggering $180 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026. This massive investment, primarily aimed at fortifying its artificial intelligence infrastructure, represents a near-doubling of the company's 2025 spending and
NEW YORK — The precious metals market is reeling from a week of extraordinary volatility that saw gold prices scale historic heights before a sudden, harrowing "flash crash" sent shockwaves through global trading floors. After touching a psychological milestone of $5,100 per ounce early in the month, gold spot prices
