NEW YORK, Feb 14, 2026, 12:03 (EST) — Market closed
Stocks worldwide wrapped up Friday on a tentative note. A softer U.S. inflation reading lent Wall Street some stability, yet those gains couldn’t keep investors from chalking up their steepest weekly decline since November—AI worries loomed large. The S&P 500 edged up just 0.05% to 6,836.17. The Dow ticked higher, gaining 0.10% to 49,500.93. Nasdaq slipped 0.22% to 22,546.67. Utilities and real estate outperformed; Applied Materials surged 8.1%. CME’s FedWatch put chances for a June cut at 52.3% (that’s 25 basis points or 0.25 percentage point). “Large cap tech stocks continue to be an anchor,” Rosenblatt Securities’ Michael James said. 1
January’s CPI print landed at 2.4% year-on-year, just under the 2.5% economists expected, with the Fed having kept rates steady in the 3.50%-3.75% band last month. MSCI’s world index slipped 0.24% to 1,042.75. The yield on the 10-year Treasury dropped 5.6 basis points, sitting at 4.048%. Bitcoin jumped 4.94% to $69,049.69. “It is a bit of good news as we head into the long holiday weekend,” said Tim Holland, chief investment officer at Orion. 2
European shares slipped, the STOXX 600 closing down 0.13% at 617.7. Still, the index managed a slim 0.09% gain for the week. Capgemini tanked 7.2% after its outlook disappointed, while L’Oreal dropped 4.1% following lower-than-expected sales. “Concerns about overinvestment and the returns on that investment are rising,” Kyle Rodda of Capital.com noted. 3
Asian stocks slipped from earlier peaks on Friday. The MSCI Asia-Pacific index outside Japan dropped 0.6%, while Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.9%. Cisco tumbled 12% after missing margin expectations. “The prevailing tone in markets is a rotation toward more defensive areas,” said Chris Weston at Pepperstone. 4
China’s CSI300 slipped 1.3%, with the Shanghai Composite also down 1.3%. Over in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng dropped 1.7%, hitting its lowest in a week as traders got ready for the nine-day Lunar New Year holiday kicking off Feb. 15. Mainland bourses will remain closed all of next week, and Hong Kong is set to shut Tuesday through Thursday. According to Topsperity Securities, a firmer yuan has managed to keep shares “at a relatively high level.” 5
The “AI scare trade” is hitting new corners of the market, with investors dumping stocks exposed to automation risk—including private credit, real estate brokers, and insurers. “Sell first think later,” is how Barclays strategist Emmanuel Cau put it. Data from Reuters shows the S&P 500 Software & Services index has shed roughly $2 trillion since its October high. 6
The yen headed for its strongest weekly jump since November 2024. The dollar index dipped 0.07 to 96.85. The euro nudged higher, changing hands at $1.1873, while the dollar was trading at 152.67 yen. “The market reaction to the data was timid at best,” said Olivier Bellemare at Monex Canada. 7
Brent finished up 23 cents at $67.75 a barrel, while U.S. WTI ticked 5 cents higher to close at $62.89. Both benchmarks, however, posted losses for the week. “Looks like inflation is stabilizing,” said Dennis Kissler at BOK Financial. Traders kept their attention on OPEC+ and the possibility of the group restoring output from April. 8
Spot gold surged 2.1% to $5,022.06, while U.S. futures wrapped up about 2% higher at $5,046.30 as yields retreated. “Gold, and particularly silver, is enjoying a relief rally,” said Tai Wong, independent metals trader. 9
Trade policy moved back into focus after a report indicated the Trump administration might dial back steel and aluminum tariffs. But according to a White House official, nothing shifts unless President Donald Trump himself makes the call—underscoring how policy shifts can whipsaw metal prices and industrial stocks without much warning. 10
Traders are eyeing Tuesday’s U.S. open after the Presidents Day break on Monday. Fed minutes drop Feb. 18, then February PMIs land—giving a read on business activity. On Feb. 20, U.S. core PCE inflation, the Fed’s go-to metric, arrives alongside Q4 GDP. For anyone still feeling the sting from tech’s slide, these releases are the next big test for the rate-cut narrative. 11
