New York, February 16, 2026, 17:32 EST — Closing bell rings.
JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM.N) slipped 0.03% to close at $302.55 on Friday, moving within a range of $296.52 to $304.29. Roughly 9.1 million shares were traded. 1
Wall Street was closed Monday for the U.S. holiday, so attention is swinging back to interest rates. Banks closely watch how expectations for rate cuts shift, since those changes hit net interest income—the difference between loan yields and what the bank shells out on deposits.
Monday saw light global trading, as U.S. stock and bond markets took a holiday and a number of Asian exchanges stayed closed for Lunar New Year. Rate futures put odds of a June rate cut from the Federal Reserve at about 68%, with markets factoring in around 0.62 percentage points of easing for 2026. Janus Henderson’s Oliver Blackbourn said fiscal stimulus “would ultimately benefit the banking industry.” 2
JPMorgan edged down 0.03% on Friday. Bank of America managed a 0.06% uptick, and Wells Fargo rose 0.80%. 3
U.S. equities barely budged Friday. The S&P 500 eked out a 0.05% gain, and the Dow edged up 0.10% after January inflation numbers came in weaker than anticipated. Tech dragged, sending the Nasdaq down 0.22%. 4
The Federal Reserve’s schedule lists the release of minutes from its January 27-28 meeting for 2:00 p.m. ET this Wednesday, February 18. Washington’s Birthday on Monday gets a mention too, with a note that some stats—daily and weekly—will shift to Tuesday. 5
JPMorgan marks its next big event with a “Company Update” scheduled in New York on February 23 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The session, featuring both a presentation and an executive Q&A, should wrap up around 6:30 p.m., according to the bank. Investors are poised to scrutinize any shifts on costs, capital returns, and what management signals about demand from both consumers and corporates. 6
Guy Halamish has been tapped as chief operating officer for the commercial and investment bank, according to an internal memo from last week, and will oversee the bank’s data and AI strategy. Banks are moving fast to automate tasks like client onboarding and credit checks, but they’re watching tech budgets closely. 7
Legal trouble is brewing for JPMorgan. On February 13, a U.S. judge ruled the bank has to answer to some claims in a proposed class action involving its “cash sweep” accounts—the mechanism that stashes clients’ idle cash. Customers allege they earned just 0.01% to 0.03% interest, despite policy rates and short-term Treasuries sailing past 5%. JPMorgan has not commented. 8
Traders aren’t just eyeing the banks—they’re tracking consumer signals, too. Walmart releases its results Thursday, February 19. Earnings materials land at about 6 a.m. Central, and management takes questions an hour later at 7 a.m., according to the retailer. For investors, that’s a key gauge of spending trends and the credit landscape. 9
As U.S. markets reopen Tuesday, all eyes turn to Treasury yields—whether they keep up last week’s momentum or reverse course could hit bank stocks in a hurry. Traders are also watching for Wednesday’s Fed minutes and JPMorgan’s update coming February 23, the next key events on the docket.
