US Stock Market Today Updates: Wall Street meandered through a volatile day on February 17, 2026, after President’s Day, as concerns about the potential for AI to disrupt the software leaders competed with the resilience of the financial groups. The Dow Jones industrials advanced by small increments, but the Standard & Poor’s 500 and Nasdaq Composite fell at the open as investors worried about the potential for AI to disrupt the leaders like ServiceNow, down about 31% this year, Salesforce, down about 30% and Autodesk, down 23%.
The overall market mood was dampened by discussions about the US-Iran nuclear talks, but the Indian markets continued to hold their ground with Sensex rising 174 points to 83,451 and Nifty rising 43 points to 25,725, boosted by the flow into the banking stocks. The crypto and precious metals underperformed, indicating a negative tone in those markets, even as the data on inflation and employment came in strong.
U.S. Market Snapshot
|
Index |
Open Price |
Change |
% Change |
|
Dow Jones |
49,525.37 |
+24.4 pts |
+0.05% |
|
S&P 500 |
6,819.86 |
-16.3 pts |
-0.24% |
|
Nasdaq |
22,394.76 |
-151.9 pts |
-0.67% |
|
NYSE |
23,305.57 |
-20.52 pts |
-0.09% |
Dow Jones
The Dow inched up on the day, rising by about 32.38 points or 0.07%, to end at 49,533.31, buoyed by financials like JPMorgan Chase and American Express. It was a tough week for the blue chips as they saw their fourth down week in five sessions, losing more than 1% last week as funds shifted out of tech stocks amid concerns about artificial intelligence and the VIX volatility index spiked to 22.50 from 17.
Nasdaq
The Nasdaq Composite fell by 151.9 points or 0.67%, to open at 22,394.76, extending its fifth consecutive week of losses, the longest losing streak since 2022 with the Nasdaq Composite slipping more than 2% this week. Software shares, including Salesforce, which fell 2.56%, contributed to the Nasdaq Composite’s decline with the Nasdaq Composite now down more than 30% so far this year. The iShares Technology Software ETF or IGV, declined 2%, taking its year to date loss to about 23% on worries about the impact of AI on human labor. The Nasdaq 100, which tracks technology shares, fell 0.23% to 24,676.89.
S&P 500
S&P 500 opened lower by 0.24% to 6,819.86, but then stabilized near flat, around 6,836.72 (+0.01%), following two consecutive weeks of declines exceeding 1%. The broader markets moved in line with shifting sectors, where financials moved higher and software fell due to concerns over AI while energy and materials, which had been leaders in the rally, eased off with a softer January CPI and positive jobs data were the backdrop, but the story remained dominated by AI.
NYSE
The NYSE Composite made a slight decline, down 0.09% to 23,305.57 as the markets closed on the holiday Monday. The utilities sector made a slight increase, rising 0.12% to 1,172.58 and the transports sector far outperformed, gaining 0.95% to 19,526.54. The small caps, represented by the Russell 2000, fell 0.07% to 2,644.86, as the markets continued to trade lightly after the weekend. Investors are awaiting the release of the minutes from the Fed on Wednesday and the PCE inflation data on Friday.
First GIFT City IPO
GIFT City is nearing the launch of its first public offering with XED Executive Development making the Red Herring Prospectus to raise about $12 million through a dollar-denominated listing on the IFSC platforms. The issue is expected to open in the first week of March, subject to regulatory approvals. This move highlights the government’s efforts to establish GIFT City as a major offshore fundraising center and the successful launch of the IPO will place GIFT City firmly in the spotlight.
Eternal-OpenAI Partnership
Eternal extended its agreement with OpenAI to integrate AI even more into Zomato, Blinkit, District, Hyperpure, Feeding India and Nugget ventures. Through the Enterprise API, Eternal is looking to have smarter customer conversations, app integration for its partners, and internal orchestration of AI, which is essential for the Indian digital commerce landscape that is growing rapidly because AI is a game-changer in quick commerce and the food delivery industry.
Silver Plunge, Commodities & Crypto Dip
Spot silver fell 2% to $74.85/oz with futures down 4% at $74.70 and gold participated in the move in pre-market trading. Mining stocks underperformed with Hecla, focused on Shear, down around 3% and Endeavour down about 3.5% as data was delayed and the geopolitical environment was quiet. Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies retreated even as stocks advanced, contrasting with the Sensex/Nifty, indicating safe-haven selling as equity rotations change.
AI Disruption Fears
Last week, AI jitters affected software stocks, real estate, trucking and financial services, which turned sour after the holiday. Experts like Leah Bennett said that non-competitive businesses risk losing their moat and Scott Chronert from Citi said that terminal multiples are being called into question and that Q1 earnings need to prove resilience. The hope for a soft landing in the macro environment took a back seat with sector risks dominating.
Top Gainers Today
- American Express (AXP): 345.77, +8.27 (2.45%)
- Visa (V): 320.55, +6.47 (2.06%)
- Apple (AAPL): 260.74, +4.96 (1.94%)
- JPMorgan Chase (JPM): 307.43, +4.88 (1.61%)
- Travelers (TRV): 298.42, +4.21 (1.43%)
Top Losers Today
- Walmart (WMT): 129.34, -4.55 (-3.40%)
- Salesforce (CRM): 184.87, -4.85 (-2.56%)
- Chevron (CVX): 179.71, -4.03 (-2.19%)
- Home Depot (HD): 384.14, -6.91 (-1.77%)
- IBM: 258.32, -4.06 (-1.55%)
FAQ’s
1. Why did Nasdaq fall today?
AI disruption fears hit software stocks hard with Salesforce and Autodesk down 2%; Nasdaq extended its five-week skid.
2. What’s the GIFT City IPO buzz?
XED filed RHP for $12M raise, opening March on IFSC exchanges as GIFT’s first IPO milestone.
3. How did Eternal partner with OpenAI?
Expanded collab integrates AI into Zomato, Blinkit via Enterprise API for apps and partners.
4. Why silver and gold prices dropped?
Premarket falls of 2-4% amid awaited data, no big geopolitics; miners like Hecla slid 3%.
5. Dow vs S&P performance?
Dow +0.07% to 49,533 on financials; S&P flat at 6,836 after open dip on tech woes.
