Technology 18 February 2026 - 19 February 2026

Intel shares fell 1.6% to $45.46 Wednesday, holding steady after hours, following Nvidia’s announcement of a Meta Platforms chip deal featuring Arm-based CPUs that compete with Intel. Nvidia shares rose 1.5%, while AMD dropped 1.5%. Intel CFO David Zinsner will speak at Morgan Stanley’s TMT conference on March 4.

Microsoft shares rose 0.7% to $399.60 in after-hours trading Wednesday, tracking gains across Big Tech as the Nasdaq closed up 0.78%. Investors weighed Microsoft’s $50 billion AI investment plans and ongoing regulatory scrutiny. The stock’s move followed Nvidia’s announcement of a multi-year AI chip deal with Meta. Federal Reserve minutes and upcoming economic data remain in focus for tech valuations.

Nvidia shares rose 1.6% to $187.94 in after-hours trading after announcing a multiyear deal to supply Meta with millions of AI chips, including upcoming Blackwell and Rubin processors. Meta shares closed up 0.7%. AMD and Intel fell about 1.7% and 1.6%, respectively. Nvidia did not disclose the deal’s value.

The Dow closed up 89.86 points, or 0.18%, at 49,623.05 as investors bought back into megacap tech after recent AI volatility. Nvidia rose about 2% after announcing a multi-year AI chip deal with Meta, while Amazon and Alphabet also gained. Fed minutes showed officials split on rate cuts, with investors eyeing June for possible easing. U.S. crude settled up 4.59% at $65.19 a barrel; the 10-year yield rose to 4.083%.

U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, with the Dow up 280 points and the Nasdaq gaining 1.3% by late morning, as Nvidia rose 2.3% after a supply deal with Meta. Durable goods orders fell 1.4% in December, but core capital goods orders rose 0.6%. Factory output increased 0.6% in January. The 10-year Treasury yield hovered near 4.08% ahead of the Fed minutes release.