New York, February 18, 2026, 06:38 (EST) — Premarket
- Barrick Mining (NYSE: B) ticked up in after-hours moves, following a 2.6% slide at Tuesday’s close.
- Gold rebounded from a one-week low, with the dollar strengthening and U.S.-Iran talks making headway.
- Gold miners with ties to bullion are looking to Wednesday’s Fed minutes for the next major macro signal.
Barrick Mining Corp (NYSE:B) was looking at a roughly 1% gain, to $47.10, in after-hours action Wednesday. That move came after a 2.6% drop to $46.65 at the close. On Tuesday, the shares moved between $45.06 and $47.26, with volume hitting about 20.4 million.
Bullion’s swings continue to jolt mining stocks. Spot gold slipped 2.21% Tuesday, ending the session at $4,882.47 an ounce. U.S. gold futures closed off 3.16%, pressure mounting as hopes rose for U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and the dollar strengthened.
This is key for Barrick. Gold prices drive miners’ revenue, but plenty of their costs lag behind. That means leverage—up and down. A single day’s move in bullion can hit mining stocks like a week’s worth of action.
Gold steadied itself in early Wednesday action, with spot prices climbing 0.8% to $4,915.90. U.S. gold futures picked up 1.2%. Natixis analyst Bernard Dahdah pointed to “opportunistic buying” after prices slipped below $4,900. Reuters
Thin liquidity is fueling the sharp swings. Giovanni Staunovo at UBS said gold “may well be trading within a range around $5,000.” Over at OANDA, Zain Vawda lowered his medium-term target. China’s markets remain shut for Lunar New Year through Feb. 23, dampening volumes. Reuters
Barrick’s share action tells the story. Yes, there’s copper in the mix, but gold drives the daily mood—right there with the U.S. dollar and whatever traders are betting on for rates.
Commodity stocks took a hit in Canada on Tuesday, with the materials sector dropping 2.5% as gold slipped over 2%. “Commodity-related stocks tend to be a bit more volatile … and extreme volatility,” said Michael Dehal, senior portfolio manager at Dehal Investment Partners at Raymond James. Reuters
Company-level risk remains in sharp focus. After a series of attacks, Barrick said it’s reviewing its position on the Reko Diq copper-gold site. Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti responded, saying both provincial and federal authorities are overhauling security for the project and have the “capacity and capability” to safeguard investors. Arab News PK
Next up for certain investors is the dividend record date, which determines eligibility for the payout. Barrick, on Feb. 5, announced a $0.42 per share dividend linked to its fourth-quarter performance, set for payment on March 16 to shareholders recorded as of Feb. 27. The company also rolled out a fresh dividend policy, aiming to distribute 50% of attributable free cash flow—what’s left after covering operating and capital expenses.
But there’s a flip side in the short run: if the Fed minutes come off hawkish, the dollar could strengthen, leaving gold under strain—and miners tend to feel that impact more sharply. Any suggestion that security challenges in Pakistan are driving up costs or delaying projects would just pile on more trouble.
The Fed minutes come out at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, putting a spotlight on rate expectations and any possible moves in bullion as Barrick’s Feb. 27 record date closes in. Investors are keyed in on whether those details change the outlook.
