NEW YORK, Feb 16, 2026, 19:20 EST — Market closed.
IBM shares are set to draw attention again Tuesday as U.S. markets reopen post-Presidents Day. The stock ended Friday’s session 1.1% higher, at $262.38.
This is significant: IBM’s been zigzagging lately, and the reboot hits just as a slew of U.S. data is due—a stretch that could shake up rate expectations and send tech valuations moving.
IBM’s back in focus, this time for its push into artificial intelligence. The company isn’t just marketing AI tech; it’s also weaving it into its products and revamping entry-level roles to fit the shift.
The stock plunged 6.5% on Feb. 11, tumbled another 4.9% the next day, then clawed back a bit on Friday, but was still sitting roughly 10% lower than its Feb. 10 close, Investing.com data shows. Trading volume hit 12.6 million shares on Feb. 12, sharply higher than Friday’s 6.8 million.
Monday saw U.S. exchanges shuttered for Presidents Day, with trading set to pick back up on Tuesday, according to the New York Stock Exchange holiday calendar.
IT Jungle, over the long weekend, took another look at IBM’s refreshed FlashSystem all-flash storage lineup and pointed out that AI expansion is putting a squeeze on memory and flash chip supplies. The site noted that shipments for the FlashSystem 5600, 7600, and 9600 models are scheduled to begin March 6 in most regions.
IBM is calling this refresh a “major leap” in autonomous storage and cyber resilience, Futurum Group analyst Alastair Cooke noted, citing the company’s push into “agentic AI”—software that acts, not just responds. IBM touts sub-minute ransomware detection here. Cooke also called out Dell Technologies, NetApp, and Pure Storage as the main competition, with each vendor racing to pack more AI into their storage offerings. Futurum
IBM was back in the headlines Monday, after TechSpot said the company aims to triple its U.S. entry-level hiring this year. Nickle LaMoreaux, IBM’s chief human resources officer, told the outlet that firms ramping up entry-level recruitment now “will be best placed in a few years.” IBM expects to add roles like software developers—jobs LaMoreaux pointed out are “all these jobs we’re being told AI can do,” the report noted. TechSpot
On Tuesday, eyes turn to U.S. retail sales and the Empire State manufacturing survey, both dropping at 8:30 a.m. ET. A bit later, the housing-market index lands, along with fresh business inventory numbers. The week’s main event hits Wednesday: the Fed’s meeting minutes, laying out the nitty-gritty from January’s rate call.
Still, IBM’s direction could hinge on the broader macro picture. A strong retail-sales report or any hawkish hints in the Fed minutes might send yields up, squeezing rate-sensitive tech names. Out in the packed infrastructure space, bold product talk won’t cut it unless it translates into real orders.
IBM’s board set a quarterly payout at $1.68 a share, according to a filing, with payment slated for March 10 to holders on record as of Feb. 10. With the FlashSystem launch hitting March 6 and Fed minutes falling midweek, IBM’s first session after the holidays could be more about jockeying for position than chasing headlines.
