New York, Feb 18, 2026, 17:35 EST — After the bell
- Alphabet’s Class C shares (GOOG) finished the session 0.37% higher, with a slight uptick showing up in after-hours trading.
- Google rolled out its “America‑India Connect” infrastructure initiative, paired with fresh AI funding programs from Google.org.
- AI spending controls are in focus for investors, who are also eyeing a March 2 EU deadline for feedback on Google’s search ad auctions.
Alphabet Inc’s Class C shares (GOOG) ended Wednesday up 0.37% at $303.94. After the 4 p.m. ET bell, the stock edged higher to $304.19, up roughly 0.1%. GOOG moved between $301.98 and $305.91 on the day. Volume came in around 15.7 million shares. (StockAnalysis)
Investors are still wrestling with the familiar uncertainty: just how deep will Big Tech dig into its coffers for artificial intelligence before profits reflect those bets. Alphabet, for its part, told the market earlier this month that capital expenditures—covering data centers, servers, and networking—might nearly double by 2026. The company set out a capex range between $175 billion and $185 billion. (Reuters)
Broader gains gave stocks a lift. U.S. equities finished in the green, pushed up by AI-related shares on the heels of Nvidia’s announcement: the chipmaker landed a multi-year deal to supply millions of its current and next-gen AI chips to Meta Platforms. The S&P 500 closed up 0.56%, Nasdaq up 0.78%. “They were expensive and they’ve gotten cheaper,” said Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird, commenting on tech stocks after their recent dip. (Reuters)
Google—still the core of Alphabet—unveiled plans Wednesday for a major infrastructure expansion aimed at expanding AI access. Brian Quigley, a vice president at Google Cloud, said, “Infrastructure is foundational to prevent the digital divide from becoming an AI divide,” as Google rolled out its “America‑India Connect” initiative. The move centers on a $15 billion, five-year AI infrastructure bet in India, with new subsea and fiber routes on the table. (Blog)
Google, in an announcement linked to the AI Impact Summit in India, said it’s rolling out a pair of $30 million Google.org “Impact Challenges” to back AI projects focused on science and government innovation. The company added that Google DeepMind has started new collaborations with Indian government agencies and local institutions. (Blog)
Google has locked in May 19-20 for its yearly developer gathering, Google I/O, returning to Mountain View’s Shoreline Amphitheatre and streaming online. It’s the company’s usual venue for unveiling big product changes and detailing its AI strategy for developers. (Blog)
Alphabet stock has reacted sharply to the ongoing debate over AI spending this month. According to Reuters data, the company shed roughly $87.96 billion in market value since the beginning of 2026, as of last Friday. Tech heavyweights broadly slipped as investors soured on elevated valuations. (Reuters)
Alphabet is piling on more bets in India as it scrambles to keep pace in AI and cloud, fighting for ground against heavyweight rivals Microsoft and Amazon. The move again points to a familiar bottleneck: data centers and networks, the underlying infrastructure that needs to grow before any AI offering can really take off.
The risk remains obvious. Should ad demand weaken or if it takes longer than hoped to make money from new AI tools, ramped-up spending could pressure margins—potentially flipping a minor share rebound into fresh selling.
Regulatory worries haven’t gone away. The European Commission notified advertisers about its reservations over Google Search ad auctions, specifically pointing to issues with “clearing prices”—the amount advertisers actually end up paying. Feedback is due by March 2. Investors are alert for any indication that the EU might escalate this into a full antitrust case. (Reuters)
