New York, Feb 18, 2026, 10:41 (EST) — Regular session.
- AMD stock slipped roughly 1.4%, trading near $200, after a filing outlined a $75 million CEO equity award tied to performance, along with cash bonuses for 2025.
- Jean Hu, CFO, has filed to sell 19,956 shares through a pre-arranged 10b5-1 trading plan.
- Nvidia’s chip agreement with Meta stayed on traders’ radar as they looked ahead to Fed minutes set for release at 2 p.m. EST.
Advanced Micro Devices slipped roughly 1.4% to $200.14 in morning trade Wednesday, dropping $2.94 from its previous close. The move came as the chipmaker rolled out a fresh performance-based equity package for CEO Lisa Su.
This disclosure carries weight. AMD’s stock is watched as a kind of risk barometer for semis, with investors showing little patience for any hint of distraction or dilution. They’re holding out for more decisive demand signals.
The timing coincides with renewed focus on the hierarchy in AI computing. Nvidia’s fresh customer announcement underlines who’s still leading the pack.
AMD disclosed in an 8-K that its board has greenlit a one-off “CEO Value Creation Equity Award” for Lisa Su, setting the target value at $75 million and planning to grant it on March 15. The company pointed to Su’s “unique value” and the need for “long-term retention” as reasons for the award. The grant will come in the form of performance-based restricted stock units (PRSUs), with vesting tied to share-price goals. Payouts could end up anywhere from nothing to double the target, depending on how AMD’s stock performs through March 15, 2031. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
Chief Financial Officer Jean Hu is set to unload 19,956 AMD shares, worth roughly $4.0 million, according to a separate Form 144 notice. She’s selling through Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, under a Rule 10b5-1 plan — that’s a pre-set arrangement for scheduled insider sales — put in place on Aug. 22, 2025. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
AMD shares moved in tandem with Nvidia, which announced a multiyear deal to provide Meta Platforms with millions of AI chips—both current models and those on the horizon, such as Blackwell and Rubin GPUs, plus its Grace and Vera CPUs. Details on the dollar amount weren’t shared. (Reuters)
Meta described the deal as a “multi-year strategic partnership” in its statement. Nvidia chief Jensen Huang put it bluntly: “No one deploys AI at Meta’s scale.” Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, added, “We’re excited to expand our partnership with NVIDIA to build leading-edge clusters using their Vera Rubin platform.” (About Facebook)
Nvidia climbed roughly 2.8% out of the gate. Intel also edged higher, up 0.8%. But AMD slipped, despite the wider sector holding steady.
Semis caught a bid. The iShares Semiconductor ETF climbed roughly 1.8%, while VanEck’s Semiconductor ETF tacked on about 2.0%.
Macro risk hasn’t left the stage. The Federal Reserve releases minutes from its January 16-17 meeting at 2 p.m. EST. Policymakers kept rates steady between 3.5% and 3.75%. Now, traders are parsing the language for any signals about what could happen heading into the March 17-18 meeting. (Reuters)
Compensation headlines don’t always land the same way. While the CEO award won’t pay out unless AMD’s shares hit those price targets, some investors are eyeing dilution and governance risks. On top of that, a hawkish set of Fed minutes could squeeze high-priced chip stocks further.
Next up for traders: the Fed minutes land at 2 p.m. EST. Also in focus—AMD, which has to defend that $200 level heading into the afternoon. The company plans to grant Su’s award on March 15, a timing that could keep the shares twitchy around any new filings or additional commentary.
