NEW YORK, Feb 14, 2026, 12:03 (EST) — Market closed
Global stock markets ended the week on a cautious footing on Friday as a cooler U.S. inflation print steadied Wall Street, but investors still nursed their biggest weekly losses since November amid artificial intelligence angst. The S&P 500 rose 0.05% to 6,836.17, the Dow added 0.10% to 49,500.93 and the Nasdaq fell 0.22% to 22,546.67; utilities and real estate led gains and Applied Materials jumped 8.1%, while CME’s FedWatch showed traders nudging the odds of a June cut to 52.3% (25 basis points equals 0.25 percentage point) and “large cap tech stocks continue to be an anchor,” said Michael James at Rosenblatt Securities. (Reuters)
The CPI rose 2.4% in January from a year earlier, below forecasts of 2.5%, after the Fed left rates in the 3.50%-3.75% range last month. MSCI’s world stock index fell 0.24% to 1,042.75 and the 10-year Treasury yield eased 5.6 basis points to 4.048%. Bitcoin climbed 4.94% to $69,049.69, and “it is a bit of good news as we head into the long holiday weekend,” said Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. (Reuters)
Europe also dipped, with the STOXX 600 down 0.13% at 617.7, though it still eked out a 0.09% weekly gain. Capgemini slid 7.2% on a weak outlook and L’Oreal fell 4.1% after a sales miss, and “concerns about overinvestment and the returns on that investment are rising,” said Kyle Rodda at Capital.com. (Reuters)
Asian markets stepped back from record highs earlier on Friday, with MSCI’s broadest Asia-Pacific index outside Japan down 0.6% and Japan’s Nikkei off 0.9%. Cisco sank 12% after a margin miss, and “the prevailing tone in markets is a rotation toward more defensive areas,” Pepperstone’s Chris Weston said. (Business Recorder)
In China, the CSI300 and Shanghai Composite ended down 1.3% and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.7% to a one-week low as traders headed for the nine-day Lunar New Year break starting Feb. 15. Mainland markets will be shut next week and Hong Kong will close Tuesday through Thursday, and Topsperity Securities said a strengthening yuan has helped keep shares “at a relatively high level”. (Business Recorder)
The “AI scare trade” — investors selling firms they see as vulnerable to automation — has spread into areas such as private credit, real estate brokers and insurers. Barclays strategist Emmanuel Cau said investors are in “sell first think later” mode, and Reuters data showed the S&P 500 Software & Services index has lost about $2 trillion from its October peak. (Reuters)
The yen was on track for its biggest weekly gain since November 2024, while the dollar index slipped 0.07 to 96.85; the euro edged up to $1.1873 and the dollar was last at 152.67 yen. “The market reaction to the data was timid at best,” said Olivier Bellemare at Monex Canada. (Reuters)
Brent rose 23 cents to settle at $67.75 a barrel and U.S. WTI gained 5 cents to $62.89, though both contracts ended the week lower. “Looks like inflation is stabilizing,” said Dennis Kissler at BOK Financial, with traders also watching whether OPEC+ brings back output from April. (Reuters)
Spot gold jumped 2.1% to $5,022.06 and U.S. futures settled around 2% higher at $5,046.30 as yields fell. “Gold, and particularly silver, is enjoying a relief rally,” said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader. (Reuters)
Trade policy is back on screens after a report suggested the Trump administration could narrow steel and aluminum tariffs. A White House official said there would be no changes unless President Donald Trump announces them, a reminder that policy swings can hit metal prices and industrial shares fast. (Reuters)
Markets now look to Tuesday’s reopen in the United States after Monday’s Presidents Day holiday. The Federal Reserve’s meeting minutes hit on Feb. 18, followed by February business surveys (PMIs) — a snapshot of activity — and U.S. core PCE inflation, the Fed’s preferred gauge, on Feb. 20 alongside U.S. fourth-quarter GDP. For investors still nursing that tech drawdown, those prints are the next check on the rate-cut story. (Spglobal)
