Morning Preview: February 19, 2026

Early Look

On February 19, 2026, U.S. futures are showing slight declines following two strong days of stock market gains. This profit-taking comes as major earnings reports are expected from Wal-Mart, one of the largest retailers globally, and amid ongoing global tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which are influencing oil and gold prices. The major U.S. indices had positive performances the previous day, with technology stocks like Nvidia contributing to the gains, while energy shares also saw increases. The FOMC Minutes from the January Federal Reserve meeting revealed a division among policymakers regarding future interest rate actions, with some favoring hikes if inflation remains high, while others support cuts if inflation decreases.

Market Closing Prices Yesterday

• S&P 500 Index: +38.09 points (0.56%) to 6,881.31
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: +129.47 points (0.26%) to 49,662.66
• Nasdaq Composite: +175.25 points (0.78%) to 22,753.63
• Russell 2000 Index: +12.02 points (0.45%) to 2,658.60

Economic Calendar for Today

• 8:30 AM ET: Weekly Jobless Claims (est. 225K)
• 8:30 AM ET: Continuing Claims (est. 1.86M)
• 8:30 AM ET: Philly Fed Survey for February (est. 8.5)
• 10:00 AM ET: Leading index Change M/M for December (est. 0.0%)
• 10:00 AM ET: Pending Home Sales M/M for January (est. +1.3%)

Earnings Calendar

Earnings Before the Open: Wal-Mart (WMT), among others.

Earnings After the Close: Various companies including Akamai (AKAM) and Lemonade (LMND).

World News

Reports indicate that U.S. President Trump and his advisors are considering scrapping the USMCA in favor of bilateral agreements with Canada and Mexico. Additionally, the American Association of Individual Investors (AAII) weekly survey shows a shift in sentiment, with a decrease in bullish sentiment and an increase in neutral positions.

Sector News Breakdown

Consumer

Several companies reported earnings, including Avis Budget Rental (CAR) which posted a significant loss, and Booking Holdings (BKNG) which exceeded expectations. eBay (EBAY) announced its acquisition of Depop from Etsy (ETSY) for $1.2 billion.

Energy

Occidental Petroleum (OXY) reported better-than-expected earnings and raised its dividend, while American Water Works (AWK) fell short of EPS estimates.

Financials

Blue Owl Capital (OWL) is selling $1.4 billion in assets to return capital to investors amid pressures in direct lending and software stocks.

Healthcare

Hims & Hers Health, Inc. announced an acquisition of Eucalyptus, enhancing its digital health capabilities.

Industrials and Materials

Deere (DE) raised its FY net income forecast after reporting strong Q1 results, while Airbus (EADSY) adjusted its production targets for the A320neo series.

Technology, Media & Telecom

Salesforce (CRM) signed an agreement to acquire Momentum, a platform for conversational insights.