February 18, 2026 – Stock Market Update: Tech Rebounds, AI Leaders and Small‑Cap Biotechs Move -( $DV $MCD $NOK $NVDA $OPEN $SER Rise!)

U.S. stocks extended their rebound on Tuesday, February 18, 2026, with the major indexes logging another day of gains as investors grew more comfortable that AI‑related disruption fears and higher‑for‑longer interest rates are manageable for corporate earnings.

Indexes and overall tone

• The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 130 points (roughly 0.3%) to finish near 49,663, securing a third straight advance.
• The S&P 500 added about 0.6% to close around 6,881, also notching a third consecutive gain.
• The Nasdaq Composite, helped by large‑cap tech, climbed roughly 0.8% to about 22,754.
• The Russell 2000 small‑cap index gained about 0.5% to 2,659, showing broader participation beyond the mega‑caps.
• Overall, trading reflected a steady risk‑on tone, with investors cautiously adding exposure to growth and tech after last week’s AI‑driven volatility.

Drivers: AI narrative, Fed, and data

• AI‑disruption fears that pressured markets last week eased further, allowing tech and communication‑services names to rebound and lifting the Nasdaq.
• Recent U.S. economic data, including housing‑related indicators, durable goods, and industrial production, pointed to a still‑resilient economy.
• Fresh Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed policymakers remain concerned about inflation and are not signaling imminent rate cuts, but investors largely viewed this stance as already expected.
• The combination of better‑than‑feared macro data and fading AI panic allowed equities to grind higher even without a clear catalyst for near‑term policy easing.

Sector and style moves

• Technology was among the stronger S&P 500 sectors, while more defensive or rate‑sensitive areas such as utilities and parts of healthcare lagged.
• Breadth improved from last week, but leadership remained concentrated in large tech and AI‑linked names.
• Volatility continued to cool, with the VIX slipping back toward the low‑20s after last week’s spike, suggesting less demand for downside protection.
• Earlier in the week, the S&P 500 had managed small gains even when most sectors were red, underscoring how dependent the tape can be on a handful of big tech names.

Macro backdrop and sentiment

• Strong fourth‑quarter 2025 earnings have not fully translated into aggressive buying, as investors still grapple with how AI will reshape business models and margins over time.
• Advancing issues have recently outpaced decliners on both the NYSE and Nasdaq, consistent with the modest broadening in participation seen today.
• U.S. equities continue to lag some international markets year‑to‑date, in part because of high starting valuations and uncertainty about the Fed’s path.
• Sentiment is cautiously constructive: investors are willing to add risk on pullbacks but remain attentive to AI headlines and central‑bank messaging.

VP Watchlist Updates

• Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals (EPRX)
  • Trading has been under pressure following a proposed public equity offering, which often weighs on shares as investors anticipate dilution.
  • Management plans to use proceeds to fund its EP‑104GI program and broader gastrointestinal pipeline, keeping the longer‑term story alive but adding near‑term volatility.
  • The company remains a development‑stage story centered on EP‑104GI for eosinophilic esophagitis, supported by earlier positive cohort data, ongoing Phase 2b work
• Modular Medical (MODD)
  • 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. (GOVX)
  • GeoVax today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement with Emory University for intellectual property covering the use of Gedeptin(R) in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).
  • 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)
  • Shares can gap sharply on any trial or regulatory update, positive or negative.
• DoubleVerify Holdings Inc. (DV, $9.58, +2.79%)
  • Trading largely in line with digital‑ad and software peers, as investors watch ad‑spend trends and demand for verification and brand‑safety tools.
  • As a profitable platform player, it is generally less volatile than some early‑stage ad‑tech names but remains sensitive to growth expectations.
• The InterGroup Corporation (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 (SER, $1.68, +1.82%)
  • No notable updates today; trading reflects typical early‑stage biotech risk around clinical progress and financing.
  • 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.
  • Any partnership, data release, or capital raise has the potential to reset the stock’s range quickly.
• Volato Group, Inc. (SOAR) & M2i Global, Inc. (MTWO)
  • 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.
• McDonald’s (MCD, $327.89, +.08%)
  • Traded broadly in line with more defensive, consumer‑staples‑like names, as investors weigh pricing power and global same‑store sales.
  • Despite cost pressures, its scale and brand strength keep it a core defensive holding for many portfolios.
• Nokia (NOK)
  • Nokia’s stock advanced 1.78% during the February 18 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.
• Opendoor Technologies (OPEN, $4.63, +6.93%)
  • Highly sensitive to U.S. housing activity and mortgage‑rate expectations; housing‑related macro data that point to resilience are directionally supportive.
  • The business model is heavily exposed to spreads between purchase and resale prices, leaving the stock very sensitive to housing‑market volatility.
• NVIDIA (NVDA) has risen $187.98, +1.63% delivering another quarter of spectacular data‑center revenue growth and guiding to roughly 65 billion dollars in upcoming quarterly sales.
• 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.

The Sources

1. Yahoo Finance – “Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500 gain for 3rd straight day, Nasdaq jumps as traders brush aside AI worries” (live blog / recap).finance.yahoo+2
2. Yahoo Finance – Main site quotes and sector/market overview (index levels, sector moves, and individual stock quote pages).finance.yahoo+1
3. Barron’s – Live coverage: “Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq Rise; Nvidia, Micron, Meta, Sandisk, Tesla …” and related cards on the day’s rally and economic data.barrons+1
4. Nasdaq.com – “Stock Market Today, Feb. 18: Nvidia Rallies As Meta Deal Boosts AI Confidence.”[nasdaq]​
5. TheStreet – “Stock Market Today, Feb. 18: Meta and Nvidia deal moves markets” (live blog on AI/Meta–Nvidia news and macro data).thestreet+1
6. Yahoo Finance – “Stock Market Today, Feb. 18” and related market‑news briefs and index recap pieces.finance.yahoo+4
7. Yahoo Finance options/derivatives pages for NVIDIA (for context on active positioning).finance.yahoo+4
8. Company‑specific and quote pages / data feeds for watchlist names (EPRX, MODD, GOVX, FLYX, DV, INTG, SER, SOAR, MTWO, NVDA, MCD, NOK, OPEN) via Yahoo Finance and related quote services.finance.yahoo+2
9. Eupraxia Pharmaceuticals offering announcement and related coverage (for EPRX commentary).finance.yahoo+3