Finance 18 February 2026

NAB share price today: National Australia Bank hits fresh 52-week high, closes lower on rate and regulator focus

NAB share price today: National Australia Bank hits fresh 52-week high, closes lower on rate and regulator focus

NAB shares hit a 52-week high Thursday before closing down 0.12% at A$49.04 as investors weighed sticky inflation and the prospect of another RBA rate hike. The consumer price index rose 3.8% in January, unchanged from December, pushing rate hike odds for May to about 80%. Regulators reported record civil penalties, including A$15.5 million against NAB over hardship failures.
February 26, 2026
Oracle stock price rises as Michigan data-center power deal and Fed minutes keep ORCL in play

Oracle stock price rises as Michigan data-center power deal and Fed minutes keep ORCL in play

Oracle shares rose 1.2% to $155.86 by late morning Wednesday after an early dip. DTE Energy announced a long-term deal to supply 1.4 gigawatts of power to Oracle’s planned Michigan data center. Investors focused on Oracle’s funding plans and capital spending as markets awaited Federal Reserve minutes. A securities class action seeks damages for Oracle shareholders over alleged risks tied to AI-related spending.
February 18, 2026
Eli Lilly stock slips even after Zepbound-Taltz psoriasis data; investors eye what’s next for LLY

Eli Lilly stock slips even after Zepbound-Taltz psoriasis data; investors eye what’s next for LLY

Eli Lilly shares dropped 1.8% to $1,017.86 by late morning Wednesday, underperforming the S&P 500. The company reported late-stage trial data showing its Zepbound-Taltz combination improved skin and weight outcomes in psoriasis patients versus Taltz alone. Investors remain cautious about Lilly’s ability to expand use-cases and defend pricing as competition increases.
February 18, 2026
Microsoft stock steadies near $400 as AI spending pledge lands ahead of Fed minutes

Microsoft stock steadies near $400 as AI spending pledge lands ahead of Fed minutes

Microsoft shares rose 0.8% to $399.97 Wednesday morning, pushing its market value near $3.6 trillion. The company pledged $50 billion in AI investments for developing markets by 2030 at a New Delhi summit. Investors await Federal Reserve meeting minutes at 2 p.m. EST for rate clues. CFO Amy Hood recently warned higher memory-chip costs could pressure cloud margins.
February 18, 2026
Applied Materials stock rises in regular session as chip tools rally; AMAT investors eye March talks

Applied Materials stock rises in regular session as chip tools rally; AMAT investors eye March talks

Applied Materials shares climbed about 3% to $369.78 Wednesday morning, tracking gains across semiconductor stocks. The move followed last week’s upbeat forecast citing AI-driven investment. Management will speak at Morgan Stanley and Cantor Fitzgerald investor conferences in early March. Investors are watching for updates on chip equipment demand and any impact from the company’s $252 million U.S. export settlement.
February 18, 2026
Broadcom stock price steadies after early dip as Citi trims AVGO target, AI chip bets stay twitchy

Broadcom stock price steadies after early dip as Citi trims AVGO target, AI chip bets stay twitchy

Broadcom rose 0.6% to $334.56 Wednesday morning, trading between $326.68 and $336.25. Citigroup cut its price target to $458, citing margin and competition concerns, while ARK funds bought $7.87 million in shares. Nvidia announced a major Meta chip deal, boosting semiconductor stocks. CloudBolt reported 86% of large firms are reducing VMware use amid pricing concerns.
February 18, 2026
Palantir (PLTR) stock price jumps 5% after Mizuho upgrade — what traders watch next

Palantir (PLTR) stock price jumps 5% after Mizuho upgrade — what traders watch next

Palantir shares rose 5.3% to $140.07 Wednesday morning after Mizuho upgraded the stock to “Outperform” with a $195 target. The company said it will move its headquarters to Miami from Denver. A regulatory filing showed Palantir held 9.4% of Surf Air Mobility as of Dec. 31. Investors awaited the Federal Reserve’s January minutes due later in the day.
February 18, 2026
Intel stock rises in early trade as Nvidia-Meta deal lifts chip mood and Fed minutes loom

Intel stock rises in early trade as Nvidia-Meta deal lifts chip mood and Fed minutes loom

Intel shares rose about 1% to $46.64 Wednesday, recovering from an earlier drop to $44.90 as chip stocks steadied. Nvidia gained 2.7% after announcing a multi-year AI chip deal with Meta, while Advanced Micro Devices slipped 1.4%. Investors await Federal Reserve meeting minutes at 2 p.m. EST and the PCE inflation report on Feb. 20. Intel remains below its Jan. 22 high of $54.60.
February 18, 2026
Micron stock price pops as Needham lifts target and Fed minutes loom

Micron stock price pops as Needham lifts target and Fed minutes loom

Micron shares rose 3.3% to $412.79 in morning trading Wednesday after Needham raised its price target to $450, citing tighter memory supply and higher prices. The stock rebounded from a 2.9% drop Tuesday. Investors awaited Federal Reserve minutes due at 2 p.m. ET. Micron plans to invest $200 billion in U.S. chip manufacturing, with new fabs in Boise and near Syracuse, according to the Wall Street Journal.
February 18, 2026
Apple stock price edges up again as March 4 event nears and AI wearables report fuels bets

Apple stock price edges up again as March 4 event nears and AI wearables report fuels bets

Apple shares rose 0.4% to $264.90 in early Wednesday trading, extending Tuesday’s rebound. Investors focused on Apple’s March 4 event and reports of new AI-enabled wearables tied to Siri. Berkshire Hathaway disclosed it cut its Apple stake by 4% last quarter but kept it as its largest holding. Federal Reserve meeting minutes are due at 2 p.m. EST.
February 18, 2026
SolarEdge stock whipsaws after earnings as outlook puts margins back in focus

SolarEdge stock whipsaws after earnings as outlook puts margins back in focus

SolarEdge Technologies fell 4.3% to $35.54 Wednesday morning after an early surge, as investors reacted to its quarterly results and outlook. Fourth-quarter revenue slipped 1.4% to $335.4 million, with non-GAAP gross margin rising to 23.3%. The company posted a GAAP net loss of $132.1 million, including a $70.5 million one-time finance expense. SolarEdge guided first-quarter revenue of $290 million to $320 million.
February 18, 2026
IPG Photonics stock slips again after a 12% drop, even as Bernstein lifts its target

IPG Photonics stock slips again after a 12% drop, even as Bernstein lifts its target

IPG Photonics shares fell 1.4% to $133.01 in early Wednesday trading, extending a 12.38% drop from the previous session. Bernstein raised its price target to $162, citing a cyclical recovery. The company recently reported Q4 revenue up 17% year over year but flagged margin pressure from tariffs and inventory moves. Investors await Fed minutes and IPG’s March 2 investor conference.
February 18, 2026
1 30 31 32 33 34 76