Finance 17 February 2026

PayPal stock holds near $47 after Stripe takeover report — what investors watch next
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PayPal stock holds near $47 after Stripe takeover report — what investors watch next

PayPal shares closed up 0.6% at $47.32 Wednesday, then slipped 0.3% after hours as takeover speculation swirled. Bloomberg reported Stripe is weighing a bid for PayPal or its assets, though both firms declined comment. PayPal also announced a partnership with Rainforest to expand embedded payments. CEO Enrique Lores is set to take over March 1 after Alex Chriss’s ouster.
February 26, 2026
P&G stock slips as insider sale filing hits and consumer staples face fresh demand doubts
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P&G stock slips as insider sale filing hits and consumer staples face fresh demand doubts

Procter & Gamble shares slipped 0.5% to $159.21 midday Tuesday after a regulatory filing showed Chief R&D Officer Victor Javier Aguilar sold 15,169 shares. General Mills’ profit warning pressured consumer goods stocks, fueling concerns about demand and pricing. Investors are awaiting Federal Reserve minutes Wednesday for signals on rates and the economic outlook.
February 17, 2026
Oil prices slide on U.S.-Iran talk progress; Brent hits two-week low before inventory data
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Oil prices slide on U.S.-Iran talk progress; Brent hits two-week low before inventory data

Brent crude fell 2.1% to $67.24 a barrel Tuesday after Iran signaled progress in nuclear talks with the U.S. The Strait of Hormuz saw temporary closures for Iranian military drills, while a drone attack caused a fire at Russia’s Ilsky refinery. Oil from Kazakhstan’s Tengiz field is gradually returning after an outage. Many Asian markets were closed for Lunar New Year, limiting early trading activity.
February 17, 2026
Mortgage rates today: 30-year near 6% as housing stocks slip before Fed minutes
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Mortgage rates today: 30-year near 6% as housing stocks slip before Fed minutes

U.S. mortgage rates hovered near 6% Tuesday, with the average 30-year fixed at 6.04%, as builder confidence slipped and homebuilder stocks fell. The NAHB/Wells Fargo index stayed below break-even for a 22nd month. Mortgage applications were flat last week, with more borrowers turning to FHA and adjustable-rate loans. The iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF dropped 1.6% midday.
February 17, 2026
UK stock market today: FTSE 100 closes higher as rate-cut bets build after UK jobs data
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UK stock market today: FTSE 100 closes higher as rate-cut bets build after UK jobs data

London’s FTSE 100 closed up 0.71% at 10,548.38 on Tuesday as investors bet on a March Bank of England rate cut after UK unemployment rose to 5.2% and wage growth slowed. Sterling fell 0.71% against the dollar. Copper dropped 3.92%, gold lost 2.81%. InterContinental Hotels Group announced a $950 million buyback and a 10% dividend hike despite weaker U.S. results.
February 17, 2026
Western Digital (WDC) share price steadies as “sold out for 2026” hard-drive talk spreads — what’s next
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Western Digital (WDC) share price steadies as “sold out for 2026” hard-drive talk spreads — what’s next

Western Digital shares rose 0.1% to $281.97 in late-morning New York trading after swinging between $272.69 and $288.13. CEO Irving Tan said the company is “pretty much sold out for calendar 2026” with firm orders from its top seven customers. Seagate and Sandisk shares fell about 2%. Western Digital expects fiscal Q3 revenue of $3.2 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $2.30.
February 17, 2026
UnitedHealth stock price slips as CEO investment report renews scrutiny
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UnitedHealth stock price slips as CEO investment report renews scrutiny

UnitedHealth shares fell 0.8% to $290.89 by late morning after a Wall Street Journal report flagged CEO Stephen Hemsley’s private investments in healthcare startups, raising conflict-of-interest questions. The company said Hemsley’s holdings are in a trust managed by independent trustees. Medicare Advantage rate deadlines and slower enrollment growth also weighed on the stock. Managed-care peers mostly traded higher.
February 17, 2026
Walmart stock slips as Evercore flags guidance risk ahead of Feb. 19 earnings
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Walmart stock slips as Evercore flags guidance risk ahead of Feb. 19 earnings

Walmart shares fell 2.6% to $130.34 Tuesday, underperforming retail peers after Evercore ISI warned of a possible cautious full-year outlook ahead of Thursday’s earnings report. The stock, up 20% this year, faces high expectations as investors await signals on consumer spending and margins. Costco, Target, and Kroger also slipped, while Amazon rose 0.8% in late morning trading.
February 17, 2026
Oracle stock price slips as tech selloff bites; ORCL investors weigh Qatar cloud deal, lawsuit
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Oracle stock price slips as tech selloff bites; ORCL investors weigh Qatar cloud deal, lawsuit

Oracle shares fell 2.6% to $156 in late morning trading Tuesday, underperforming a flat market. The drop followed news of a new cloud and AI partnership with Qatar’s Ooredoo and a fresh securities class action lawsuit filed against the company. Investors are watching for Friday’s U.S. inflation data and remain wary of Oracle’s rising capital spending.
February 17, 2026
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