Market Summary - February 25, 2026
US100 Index: 25,132.95 (+0.46%)
Market Overview
Risk appetite is returning as the rebound in technology stocks that lifted Wall Street benchmarks has spilled over into Asia. Concerns regarding the disruptive impact of AI on the economy and businesses have eased after weeks of turbulence. Additionally, Iran has expressed readiness to make necessary concessions to the US to achieve peace, which has calmed markets that were previously worried about potential conflict and an oil shock.
Asian Markets Performance
The MSCI Asia equity index climbed 1.5% to a new record, with South Korea and Taiwan, often seen as indicators of the AI investment cycle, also reaching new highs.
Technology Sector Insights
Stronger performance in previously battered software stocks has improved sentiment in the US markets. Investors are particularly focused on Nvidia's upcoming earnings report, which is viewed as a critical test for the AI narrative. European markets are also expected to open firmer, with US index futures, including US100, edging slightly higher.
Currency and Rates
The US dollar has slipped by up to 0.2%, which has supported the yuan and lifted Asian currencies to a 16-month high. The US 10-year Treasury yield remains steady around 4.04%, indicating no clear flight to safety among investors.
Market Volatility and Commodities
The Japanese yen has experienced fluctuations following the nomination of two "reflationist" academics to the Bank of Japan policy board, raising speculation about a cautious approach to near-term rate hikes. Precious metals, including gold and silver, remain firm, continuing their relative strength this year alongside equities.
Cryptocurrency Update
Bitcoin has stabilized around the $65,000 mark, giving back some earlier gains but maintaining a strong position.
Corporate News
PayPal shares rebounded nearly 7% on reports that payments giant Stripe is considering acquiring all parts of PayPal. In the semiconductor sector, China aims to boost its output of advanced chips to 100,000 wafers within the next 1-2 years, according to sources cited by Nikkei.
Technological Developments
Anthropic has introduced five new in-house built plugins for its AI model, Claude, allowing customers to customize plugins for specific workflows. Claude is now capable of working across Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, expanding its enterprise productivity use cases.
Technical Analysis
On the H1 timeframe, the Nasdaq 100 contract has moved above the 200-period exponential moving average (EMA200) seven times since the last bearish impulse, but each time it failed to hold the breakout and reversed lower. The current rebound offers hope for a more durable break above this resistance level, potentially paving the way for a corrective move toward the 25,500-point area.