New York, Feb 13, 2026, 10:19 EST — Regular session
Highlights:
- Meta Platforms slipped roughly 0.8% in the morning session, with communication services among the day’s weaker sectors.
- January CPI landed below expectations, though investors remained wary following Thursday’s sharp tech-driven drop.
- Fed minutes on Feb. 18 are drawing traders’ attention, with the next batch of mega-cap earnings eyed for fresh clues on AI-driven returns.
Meta Platforms slipped roughly 0.8% to $644.56 by Friday’s close, erasing an earlier pop as a tepid U.S. inflation reading did little to trigger fresh buying in the big tech names.
This is significant—Meta ranks among the market’s heavyweights, often signaling shifts in risk sentiment. Investors are still puzzling over whether the AI-linked selloff this month amounts to just a quick breather or hints at something more persistent.
U.S. consumer prices ticked up 0.2% in January, coming in softer than economists had forecast, according to data released Friday. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, landed at 0.3% for the month. The combination injected some optimism about rate cuts, though concerns over persistent inflation stuck around.
Stocks were sluggish at the open, the Nasdaq edging down as investors processed the CPI numbers. Communication services weighed on the market, pulling the main indexes sideways.
Meta shares dropped the day after tech stocks got hammered, pushing the Nasdaq roughly 2% lower. Investors, jittery about the AI boom, are weighing which companies stand to profit — and which ones just end up footing the costs.
Jack Herr at GuideStone Funds summed it up to Reuters: “The broader narrative within the market is… what sectors and industries can increase productivity from AI investments.” He called this a “prove it” year for AI. Reuters
Meta COO Javier Olivan offloaded 517 shares on Feb. 9, according to a securities filing published Feb. 11. The document notes Olivan’s trade came under a Rule 10b5-1 plan, which allows pre-scheduled, automatic transactions.
Options traders are chasing larger earnings swings, with Meta among the stocks that jumped hard after its report. “Earnings announcements are important again,” said Matt Amberson, founder of ORATS. Reuters
For Meta and the other megacaps, it’s not so much about what the Fed does next. The real question: will all this AI and data center investment actually show up as revenue and margin growth? That uncertainty has lingered over the sector since last month’s earnings and hasn’t budged.
Still, the risks aren’t subtle. Economists point to early-year price resets and tariff cost pass-throughs as factors that could keep inflation stubborn, potentially delaying rate cuts and pressuring growth stock valuations.
Traders are turning their attention to the Federal Reserve’s minutes from the January meeting, set for release at 2:00 p.m. EST on Feb. 18. They’re hunting for signals on policymakers’ views around inflation risks.
Nvidia reports Feb. 25. The numbers—and the guidance—will test the AI trade yet again. Names like Meta, with their hefty spend, hang in the balance.
