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 market is punishing the margin compression from its $28B acquisition spree (CyberArk + Chronosphere + new Koi deal). The selloff is an overreaction in some respects — the platformization thesis is intact — but integration risk is real and visible now. Watch as a potential dip-buy for patient investors with a 6–12 month horizon.
2. WBD & NFLX — Warner Bros. Discovery / Netflix Media Merger Play
WBD added 2.7% Tuesday after announcing a shareholder vote on its Netflix merger for March 20. Netflix gave a 7-day window for Paramount Skydance to make a final bid, sending Paramount shares up nearly 4%. Media consolidation is accelerating — this is a live M&A arbitrage opportunity.
3. NVDA — Nvidia (Watch for direction)
NVDA slipped in early trading on general tech softness, but Citigroup issued a bullish note expecting outperformance in H2 2026 as AI demand visibility improves into 2027. Any further weakness today is accumulation territory for medium-term holders.
Key Takeaways & Trading Opportunities:
1. PANW selloff = potential entry signal. Beat on revenue, missed on EPS guidance — but RPO grew 23% and NGS ARR grew 33%. The long-term platform story is very much alive. Watch $155–165 as a tactical accumulation zone.
2. Media M&A is heating up. WBD-NFLX and PSKY developments are moving fast — position carefully ahead of the March 20 shareholder vote.
3. Cybersecurity sector oversold near-term. CRWD, ZS, FTNT all caught in PANW-driven contagion. Sector ETFs like CIBR or BUG offer diversified exposure at a discount.
4. Fed minutes are the real risk event. Any hawkish tone could reset rate-cut expectations and pressure tech further.
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