NEW YORK, Feb 17, 2026, 14:28 (EST) — Regular session
- Spotify shares bounced around before climbing roughly 2% in the afternoon session.
- U.S. stocks stabilized following the extended weekend. Tech names, however, remained on edge, unsettled by ongoing concerns about AI disruption.
- This week, traders eye signals from the Fed alongside inflation data, both seen as key to shaping the next move in rate expectations.
Spotify Technology S.A. climbed 2.2% to $468.39 Tuesday afternoon, moving within a $452.13–$472.67 range. The stock previously settled at $458.34.
Stocks ticked higher in a lackluster U.S. session following the holiday, as major tech names took a hit after the AI-driven rout. “It’s an indiscriminate selling in all things tech,” said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth. Traders are now waiting for the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report — the Fed’s go-to inflation gauge — for clues on where rates might head next. Reuters
AI remains a top concern for investors, who continue to weigh its potential impact on jobs and profit margins industry-wide. “The conversation about AI rose to the top of market concerns,” said Peter Tuz, president of Chase Investment Counsel. Later Tuesday, Fed officials Michael Barr and Mary Daly were set to discuss AI and its effects on the economy. Reuters
Spotify shares got an extra jolt after its Feb. 10 earnings, the first since co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström stepped in for founder Daniel Ek, now executive chairman. The company expects first-quarter operating income to hit 660 million euros, topping analyst calls for 652.3 million. It’s tacked on 38 million monthly active users in Q4, lifting the total to 751 million; premium subs climbed 10% to 290 million. “Spammy AI music is not a new problem. It’s just more scale on an existing problem,” Söderström told analysts. Norström added: “We are seeing lots more growth coming from emerging markets.” Reuters
Pricing is up next. Spotify announced last month it’s raising its monthly premium subscription by $1, bumping it to $12.99 in the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia. The new rate hits bills starting in February.
Rivalry in the space isn’t slowing down. Apple announced plans to launch a new video podcast experience for Apple Podcasts this spring, giving listeners options to flip between audio and video, and to download video episodes. That’s a clear move against competitors like Spotify as video podcasts pick up steam.
Still, that bid for the stock isn’t locked in. If tech slides again, Spotify could easily get caught up in the drop, and investors are left waiting to find out if pricier subscriptions actually boost revenue—or just send users hunting for lower-cost alternatives, or even off the platform.
Investors will be watching for the Fed meeting minutes coming out Wednesday, with PCE inflation numbers landing on Friday. Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee weighed in, saying, “there’s several more rate cuts that can happen in 2026” if inflation drifts back to the Fed’s 2% goal. Reuters
