US stocks eked out modest gains in choppy trade on Tuesday as investors faded early-session weakness tied to ongoing AI jitters, with Apple’s (AAPL, $263.88, +3.17%) rebound helping pull the major averages back into the green by the close.
Market overview
- The S&P 500 and Nasdaq finished up about 0.1% after swinging between gains and losses of roughly 0.5% to nearly 1% intraday as traders digested another wave of concerns that AI-driven disruption could spill across sectors beyond big tech.
- The Dow added only a few dozen points (+.07%), reflecting a more muted move in the older‑economy, less tech‑heavy benchmark as investors rotated within cyclicals and financials.
- Volatility remained elevated following a recent multi‑week tech sell‑off, with investors still treating AI exposure as both a key growth driver and a source of headline risk, particularly after several weeks in which AI fears helped drag the S&P 500 lower in four of the last five weeks.
- The Russell 2000 closed roughly flat at 2,646.59 as its was a mostly risk-off day down the food curve of stocks.
Drivers and sectors
- Apple was the clear bellwether, rallying more than 3% after a report indicated the company is accelerating work on three AI‑enabled wearables — smart glasses, a pendant, and next‑generation AirPods — aimed at tightly integrating with Siri and competing more directly with offerings from Meta and others.
- The move in Apple was reinforced by a high‑profile bullish note from Wedbush, which reiterated an Outperform rating and a 350 dollar price target, arguing that the recent pullback tied to the broader AI sell‑off has been overdone as Apple stays on track to roll out advanced AI features later this year.
- Financials caught a bid, while pockets of software and AI‑sensitive names remained under pressure as investors tried to sort potential AI “winners” and “losers,” leading to pronounced dispersion beneath the index level.
- Aerospace and defense was a relative bright spot, with GE Aerospace (GE) climbing 3.7% and names such as Parker‑Hannifin (PH, $1,009.93, +.82%) also advancing, even as some defense primes traded slightly lower on the session.
Macro, earnings, and policy backdrop
- The session followed the long Presidents Day weekend, leaving investors to re‑price risk around AI disruption without new macro data, but with a busy stretch ahead that includes Walmart’s closely watched earnings on Thursday and several other high‑profile reports in energy, utilities, and cybersecurity.
- On the macro front, markets are looking toward Friday’s release of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the PCE index, alongside an advance read on fourth‑quarter GDP for additional clues on how resilient consumer demand remains relative to elevated corporate profit margins.
- Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting, due Wednesday, are another focal point as traders refine expectations around the timing and pace of potential rate cuts against a backdrop of still‑firm growth and an AI‑driven investment boom.
Notable large‑cap themes
- NVIDIA (NVDA, $184.97, +1.20%) shares remain under scrutiny after a recent pullback that has left the stock trading meaningfully below the average analyst price target even as the company continues to post outsized data‑center growth and prepares for a key earnings update later this month.
- For consumer bellwethers, McDonald’s (MCD, $327.62, .01%) garnered attention more for product news than price action as the chain kicked off “Shamrock” season, a reminder that promotions and limited‑time offerings remain a lever to support traffic in a still‑competitive quick‑service landscape.
- In communications and networking, Nokia (NOK, $7.38, +3.84%) rallied about 3.84% on the day, helped by a price‑target bump from JPMorgan to 8.20 dollars and optimism around the company’s 2026 operating‑profit outlook and initiatives tied to AI and cloud‑driven network demand.
VP Watchlist Updates
Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: EPRX)
- EPRX has been trading in the high single digits, with recent historical data showing shares changing hands around the mid‑$8 area on February 17, 2026 amid solid volume, reflecting growing interest following earlier clinical and financing milestones.
- The company remains a development‑stage story centered on EP‑104GI for eosinophilic esophagitis, supported by earlier positive cohort data, ongoing Phase 2b work, and an extended cash runway following a sizeable public offering that management has indicated should fund operations well into 2028.
Modular Medical (NASDAQ: MODD)
- MODD ($.4583, +1.82%) has been trading as a diabetes‑tech name, with shares reacting to execution milestones around its Pivot tubeless patch pump platform.Earlier this month, the company began production of validation lots for its disposable cartridge and infusion set, keeping it on track for a planned commercial launch in the first quarter of 2026, contingent on FDA 510(k) clearance—an event path that positions upcoming regulatory decisions as key stock catalysts.
- Earlier this month, the company began production of validation lots for its disposable cartridge and infusion set, keeping it on track for a planned commercial launch in the first quarter of 2026, contingent on FDA 510(k) clearance—an event path that positions upcoming regulatory decisions as key stock catalysts.
GeoVax Labs, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOVX)
- GOVX continues to behave like a high‑beta small‑cap vaccine and oncology platform name, sensitive to financing and pipeline headlines.
- On February 13, 2026, GeoVax announced a 1 million dollar registered direct offering priced at‑the‑market under Nasdaq rules, providing incremental capital but also introducing near‑term dilution; management has separately highlighted 2026 as a pivotal year, with a move toward a Phase 3 program for its GEO‑MVA smallpox/orthopox candidate and additional clinical readouts across its portfolio.
- On February 17, GOVX issued a statement endorsing the urgent call to action articulated by Rosamund Lewis, MD (WHO Head, Poxviruses Programme) and colleagues in their recently published PLOS Medicine article, “The mpox epidemic is not over: Reducing disproportionate burden in Africa and persistent global risk require a sustained response.” (https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1004893&type=printable)
DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (NYSE: DV)
- DoubleVerify (DV, $9.32) shares have been grinding higher in recent weeks, supported by positive technical trends and rising volume, with some models projecting mid‑teens percentage upside over the next quarter if the current uptrend holds.
- The stock still sits in the middle of a broader rising channel, and short‑term signals remain constructive so long as it can maintain support near the mid‑teens level flagged by recent moving‑average and volume‑based analysis..
The InterGroup Corporation (NASDAQ: INTG)
- The InterGroup Corporation, a small‑cap real estate and hospitality‑focused holding company, has traded in the high‑$20s in recent sessions. Recent filings and commentary highlight that results for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, benefited from improved hotel metrics and gains on real estate transactions, even as the company continues to carry substantial mortgage and subordinated note obligations. With a market capitalization in the low‑$60 million range and thin trading, INTG remains a tightly held, event‑driven real estate story where periodic asset sales and refinancing activity can materially influence quarterly earnings.
Serina Therapeutics (NYSE American: SER)
- Serina Therapeutics, a polymer‑based drug delivery company, recently received FDA clearance for its IND on SER‑252 after a prior clinical hold, enabling initiation of site‑level work and the formal start of its next clinical phase.
- Serina Therapeutics is drawing increased institutional attention, with at least two covering analysts assigning a Strong Buy consensus rating as of mid‑February, reflecting optimism around its polymer‑based drug‑delivery platform and advancing pipeline.
- With the story still early and catalysts largely clinical rather than commercial, position sizing and time horizon remain key considerations for investors leaning into the bullish analyst stance.
M2i Global, Inc. (MTWO) & Volato Group, Inc. (NYSE American: SOAR)
- Volato and M2i Global reaffirmed their goal of closing their business combination in the first quarter of 2026, citing steady advancement through SEC review and integration planning as they move toward a combined listing. The deal, originally announced in 2025, will effectively transition Volato from a pure‑play private aviation operator into a diversified platform spanning aviation technology and critical minerals, with M2i shareholders expected to own the majority of the combined entity. Operationally, the partnership is already visible: the two companies recently initiated their first shipment of titanium ore from Western Australia to the United States from Titanium X, underscoring how the critical‑minerals vertical could become a meaningful growth engine as domestic supply‑chain security rises in strategic importance.
- On Feb. 4, M2i Global, Inc. along with Volato Group, Inc. announced that Titanium X has initiated its first shipment of titanium ore from Western Australia to the U.S. under its collaboration agreement.
NVIDIA (NVDA)
- NVIDIA has slipped in recent sessions despite delivering another quarter of spectacular data‑center revenue growth and guiding to roughly 65 billion dollars in upcoming quarterly sales, leaving the stock trading more than 40% below the average analyst price target according to one recent review.
- The February 25 earnings call is shaping up as a key inflection point as investors look for confirmation that surging demand for the next‑generation Blackwell architecture is translating into firm, contracted revenue and sustaining margins rather than simply driving short‑term enthusiasm.
McDonald’s (MCD)
- McDonald’s enters the late‑February stretch with a renewed marketing push as the chain brings back its Shamrock Shake and OREO Shamrock McFlurry beginning February 17, a seasonal promotion that tends to support traffic and check size during an otherwise slower period for limited‑service restaurants.
Nokia (NOK)
- Nokia’s stock advanced about 4% during the February 17 session, aided by JPMorgan’s price‑target boost and continued optimism around the company’s 2026 operating‑profit outlook as it leans into AI‑ and cloud‑driven network modernization.
- The shares closed around 7.30 dollars after touching an intraday high near 7.34, with recent volatility highlighting how quickly sentiment can swing as investors recalibrate expectations for telecom‑equipment spending cycles.
Opendoor (OPEN)
- Opendoor remains a highly tactical trade around day‑to‑day moves in its share price, with prediction markets even hosting contracts on whether the stock will finish the February 17 session up or down relative to the prior close — a sign of ongoing speculative interest in the iBuying model.
- With sensitivity to housing turnover, mortgage rates, and capital‑markets access, the stock’s near‑term path is likely to stay closely tied to macro housing data and risk sentiment rather than company‑specific news alone.
The Sources
- Yahoo Finance – “Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq end higher in volatile trading day as Apple jumps”
https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-end-higher-in-volatile-trading-day-as-apple-jumps-210119999.html[sg.finance.yahoo] - Yahoo Finance – “Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq edge higher in volatile trading as Wall Street assesses AI fears”
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/live/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-edge-higher-in-volatile-trading-as-wall-street-assesses-ai-fears-143417272.html[finance.yahoo] - Yahoo Finance – S&P 500 (^GSPC) page (charts, data, and intraday context)
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EGSPC/[finance.yahoo] - Yahoo Finance – Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) latest news and headlines
https://au.finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI/news/[au.finance.yahoo] - Yahoo Finance – Homepage market wrap and live coverage
https://finance.yahoo.com[finance.yahoo] - IndexBox – “US Stocks Edge Higher Amid AI, Deal News; Apple Gains, General Mills Falls”
https://www.indexbox.io/blog/us-stocks-edge-higher-amid-ai-deal-news-apple-gains-general-mills-falls/[indexbox] - Canada/Yahoo Finance – “US stocks edge higher after swinging through worries about AI and…”
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/shares-fall-japan-while-most-062947531.html[ca.finance.yahoo] - 24/7 Wall St. – “NVIDIA (NVDA) Trading 41% Below Analyst Targets After Recent Drop”
https://247wallst.com/investing/2026/02/17/nvidia-nvda-trading-41-below-analyst-targets-after-recent-drop/[247wallst] - AOL – “NVIDIA (NVDA) Trading 41% Below Analyst Targets After Recent Drop”
https://www.aol.com/articles/nvidia-nvda-trading-41-below-analyst-targets-after-recent-drop-164525853.html[aol] - AOL – “AI stocks jump amid broadly positive outlook for 2026 markets”
https://www.aol.com/articles/ai-stocks-jump-amid-broadly-161321620.html[aol]
