NextFin News - As of the U.S. pre‑market on February 18, 2026, risk assets are firmer ahead of key economic releases and the Federal Reserve’s January meeting minutes later today.
Pre‑Market Performance
- U.S. index futures — Nasdaq 100 futures 24,894 (+126.3, +0.51%); S&P 500 futures 6,886.3 (+25.8, +0.38%); Dow Jones futures 49,708 (+96, +0.19%).
- Europe — FTSE 100 10,669.58 (+1.07%); CAC 40 8,401.44 (+0.48%); DAX 25,199.55 (+0.80%).
- Commodities — WTI crude ~$63.9/bbl (+~2% intraday); Brent ~$69.0/bbl (firmer on Gulf tensions and diplomacy headlines). marketwatch.com
- Gold — Spot/futures rebound to ~$4,900/oz (+0.6%–1.3%) as traders position for the Fed minutes. finance.yahoo.com
- U.S. dollar — DXY steady to slightly higher, near the low‑97s ahead of the minutes. fxstreet.com
Macroeconomic Policy and Data
Today’s U.S. data (08:30/09:15 a.m. ET) and expectations:
- Durable Goods Orders (Dec): consensus −1.8% m/m; core ex‑transport +0.3% (prior: +5.3% and +0.4%). riotimesonline.com
- Housing Starts/Permits (Dec): 1.330M / 1.420M (prior: 1.246M / 1.411M). riotimesonline.com
- Industrial Production/Capacity Utilization (Jan): +0.4% / 76.4% (prior: +0.4% / 76.3%). riotimesonline.com
Fed policy: The FOMC will release January meeting minutes at 2:00 p.m. ET; the Committee kept the fed‑funds rate at 3.50%–3.75% in January. Investors will parse how high the bar is for additional cuts amid sticky core inflation. federalreserve.gov
Market take: A soft headline in durable goods alongside a firmer core would argue for cyclical caution but not a collapse in business capex; any housing resilience could aid homebuilders. A cautious tone in the minutes could buoy the dollar and long yields, while a dovish tilt would favor duration and gold ahead of Friday’s PCE. barrons.com
Hot News
- Fed minutes on deck — 2:00 p.m. ET release is in focus after January’s hold; traders gauge how quickly easing could resume. federalreserve.gov
- UK inflation cools to 3.0% YoY — January CPI fell from 3.4%, boosting odds of a March BoE cut and supporting morning gains in European equities. ons.gov.uk
- Oil supported by Gulf risks and diplomacy — U.S.–Iran talks in Geneva yielded “guiding principles,” but tensions and supply‑route sensitivity keep a risk premium in crude. aljazeera.com
- Russia–Ukraine talks show limited progress — Geneva round made some procedural headway but no breakthrough on core political issues, maintaining geopolitical overhang. apnews.com
- U.S. rates supply — The Treasury’s 20‑year bond auction and 17‑week bill sale arrive today, a modest test of demand before the minutes. us500.com
U.S. Stock Focus
- Nvidia, Meta Platforms — Nvidia announced a multiyear pact to supply Meta with “millions” of next‑gen AI GPUs and to expand standalone deployments of its Grace/Vera CPUs, deepening Meta’s AI build‑out. Shares of NVDA and META ticked higher pre‑market. Nvidia release; Reuters
- Analog Devices (ADI) — FQ1 non‑GAAP EPS of $2.46 beat estimates; revenue rose ~30% y/y to $3.16B. Guidance topped the Street, sending shares sharply higher pre‑market. Barron’s
- Garmin (GRMN) — Q4 EPS $2.79 on revenue of $2.12B beat forecasts; 2026 EPS guide of $9.35 and revenue of $7.9B lifted shares double‑digits pre‑market. AP
- Global‑e Online (GLBE) — Q4 EPS $0.49 vs. $0.31 est.; revenue $336.7M beat with upbeat FY26 outlook ($1.21B–$1.27B). Shares surged in early trade. Investing.com
- Verisk Analytics (VRSK) — Q4 revenue $778.8M (+5.9% y/y); adjusted EPS $1.82 beat; board hiked the dividend 11% and expanded buyback authorization to $2.5B. Company release
- Palo Alto Networks (PANW) — Shares fell after the company trimmed its annual profit outlook, citing integration costs from recent acquisitions despite Q2 revenue growth. Reuters
- Berkshire Hathaway/New York Times (NYT) — Berkshire’s 13F revealed a ~5.1M‑share, ~$352M stake in The New York Times, lifting NYT shares in after‑hours trade; Berkshire also trimmed Apple and Amazon holdings. Investing.com
- Applied Digital (APLD), Recursion (RXRX) — Both traded lower pre‑market after disclosures showed Nvidia no longer held stakes in the names as of Dec. 31; APLD had been a notable prior holding. Barron’s
Notes on Cross‑Markets
- Reuters flagged firmer U.S. equity futures early today as tech sentiment steadied into the minutes; oil’s tone remained sensitive to diplomacy headlines. investing.com
- Brent/WTI’s bounce and gold’s resilience frame a mixed macro signal set alongside a stable dollar index near 97. marketwatch.com
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