US Stocks to Watch Today — February 18, 2026 What's Moving the Market The mood is cautiously stabilizing. S&P 500 futures are up 0.2% and Nasdaq 100 futures up 0.3%, as the AI fear-driven sell-off shows early signs of settling.But don't mistake calm for clarity — AI substitution anxiety hasn't fully dissipated, and Fed minutes tomorrow plus key inflation data Friday still loom large. One structural tailwind: the 10-year Treasury yield hit a fresh two-month low at 4.03%, which is quietly supportive for rate-sensitive equities. Stocks to Watch Right Now 1. PANW — Palo Alto Networks This is the headline story. PANW beat Q2 earnings — $1.03 EPS vs. $0.94 expected — but Q3 profit guidance missed badly at 78–80 cents against a 92-cent consensus. CNBC Revenue guidance was raised, but the mark
I noted that the headline blames Trump diplomacy, but that's only part of the story. I think that the biggest trigger was Trump's Fed chair nomination. Kevin Warsh's nomination quelled fears over Fed independence and stabilized the dollar — instantly unwinding one of gold's strongest pillars: the "debasement trade." Investors who piled into metals as a dollar collapse hedge had no reason to hold. They sold. Then came the geopolitical unwind. Oil prices fell around 5% after Trump said the U.S. and Iran were "seriously talking" to each other, and that de-escalation signal spilled directly into gold and silver. Less war risk = less safe-haven demand. Simple math. Add leverage to the mix. High levels of leverage and significant volatility created a powder keg — every man rushing for the exit a
I think that rate cut by June, S&P 500 has room to run, but I don't expect a straight line up. Here's the honest take. Fed fund futures now price nearly a 90% probability of a 25bps cut by mid-year, driven by January CPI dropping to 2.4% — the lowest in nearly five years. That's a meaningful shift in market expectations, and equity markets love that kind of certainty. But history tells us the setup is more nuanced than just "rate cut = stocks go up." Yes, lower rates reduce borrowing costs, expand multiples, and lift risk appetite. Goldman Sachs sees US growth accelerating to 2–2.5% in 2026, and corporate earnings remain resilient — a goldilocks mix of benign inflation, lower rates, and growing profits. CNN That combination historically supports S&P 500 upside. The catch? Three thi
Regarding "AI Fear" panic, will It spread? In my opinion, Yes it will spread, but not systemic. The sell-off has followed a clear and accelerating pattern: Software → Financial Services → Real Estate → Transportation. Each trigger was a small AI startup announcement — not a mega-cap disruption — yet markets are in "shoot first, ask questions later" mode, with any sector perceived as AI-exposed taking a hit. Why it will keep spreading? Every high-fee, labor-intensive business model is now a target. Healthcare administration, legal services, HR tech, and education are logical next dominoes. The rotation is deliberate — institutions are repricing any sector where AI can compress margins or headcount. Why it won't become a systemic crash? I think the reaction is "disconnected from fundamentals