US Stock Market Sector Analysis – Tuesday, February 17, 2026 MIXED

The US stock market experienced modest gains today, with 9 sectors finishing higher and the S&P 500 index buoyed by strong performances in the airlines and infrastructure sectors. United (UAL) soared by 4.3%, while Vertiv (VRT) reported a blowout Q4, driving its shares up 3.8%. Apple (AAPL) also made headlines, rising 3.2% as the tech giant continues to show resilience amidst a mixed earnings landscape. However, the Magnificent 7 underperformed overall, with only Apple and NVIDIA (NVDA) showing gains today.

Market Condition Dashboard

US 10-Year Treasury Yield

Wait & Watch

4.05%

stable

Impact

Confidence

Crude Oil (WTI)

Neutral

$62.33

-0.9% 1D

Impact

Confidence

VIX (Fear Index)

Elevated Caution

20.3

-1.5% 1D

Impact

Confidence

200-Day Moving Average

Bullish Trend Intact

0/3 below

SPY above (+5.6%), QQQ above (+3.5%), DIA above (+8.6%)

Impact

Confidence

Tracked Stocks Breadth (50DMA)

Healthy Uptrend

54%

37 of 68 above 50DMA · 20DMA 54% · -13.2pp 5D

Impact

Confidence

Put/Call Ratio (5D)

Caution

0.83

Call-Heavy · stable

Impact

Confidence

Signal analysis only — not investment advice

Sector Performance (Base=100)

Today's Market Events

Key Headlines

CoreWeave shares fall after the cloud-GPU specialist issues a forward-looking forecast that fuels investor concern about near-term growth and margin timing. The company beat on revenue for the quarter and reaffirmed its full-year revenue and 2026 ARR targets, while CEO Michael says demand is overwhelming across traditional AI labs and new verticals such as finance and robotics. Management reports a $40 billion backlog and says a large infrastructure buildout is depressing operating margins today but should drive a sequential margin expansion through the year, targeting low double-digit operating margins by Q4 as capacity comes online. Investors are nevertheless reacting to the timing risk around that rollout and to comments about supply-chain and partner coordination, with market participants noting volatility in AI infrastructure names after the report.

Layoffs and labor-market dynamics headline the broader tech narrative as Cloudflare (NET) announces job cuts that executives characterize as part of an AI-driven efficiency push, and the sector records a 16th straight month of employment declines. The U.S. payrolls beat expectations overall, but analysts say many recent graduates and entry-level workers remain underemployed; Clara Shih of the New Work Foundation warns that colleges and K–12 are often discouraging practical AI skills, leaving Gen Z without the tools employers increasingly demand. Companies including Airbnb and Coinbase are also adjusting workforces or costs as they deploy AI and reposition businesses, and market observers say the social and regulatory implications of rapid AI adoption are becoming an increasingly central part of investor conversations.

Corporate results and strategy moves punctuate the tape: Lyft (LYFT) delivers a record quarter in bookings and more than $1 billion of free cash flow while outlining continued international expansion and a loyalty-driven ‘rewards-maxing’ push to boost retention and margins. CEO David Risher highlights high developer adoption of AI tools—he says roughly 86% of engineers use AI—positioning the technology as a velocity and product-enhancement lever rather than an immediate large-scale headcount reduction. Meanwhile, NVIDIA remains a pivotal partner for cloud GPU capacity even as OEM and distributor relationships complicate the supplier landscape, and CoreWeave reiterates diversification of data-center supply to reduce single-site risk.

Other market-moving items include SoftBank trimming a planned $10 billion financing to about $6 billion according to people familiar with the matter, Baidu’s chip unit pursuing a dual IPO that could value it near $15 billion, Nintendo raising console prices and leaning on software revenue, and renewed attention on energy and geopolitics as Three Mile Island is slated to supply power for AI workloads as part of long-term deals. U.S. officials are also navigating export and blacklist policy headlines after reports that servers with advanced NVIDIA chips were diverted to China, and payments and security stories continue to surface—stablecoin transaction volumes are growing from a small base and campus cybersecurity breaches prompt fresh warnings about exposed sensitive data.

Earnings Releases

Palo Alto Networks (PANW) Reports After Close

AI and Technology Sector Analysis

The AI and technology investment theme remains under pressure as the Magnificent 7 struggles with broad market headwinds. While Apple (AAPL) rose to $263.88, other key players like Microsoft (MSFT) and Alphabet (GOOG) faced declines, reflecting investor skepticism. The chip supply chain, highlighted by Broadcom (AVGO) rising 2.3% to $332.54, shows some resilience, but overall infrastructure and enterprise software sectors are grappling with substantial downward trends.

US Stock Sector Overview

Sector	1D	5D	20D	vs 50MA
Mag 7 (AI Spenders)	+0.2%	-3.6%	-2.4%	BELOW
Chip Supply Chain	+0.2%	-1.4%	+0.6%	BELOW
Infrastructure	-0.4%	-3.0%	+10.4%	BELOW
Enterprise Software	-1.0%	-2.9%	-15.8%	BELOW
Finance	+1.4%	-3.5%	-0.7%	BELOW
Healthcare	-0.9%	+3.5%	-7.5%	BELOW
Retail	-2.2%	+2.9%	+6.7%	ABOVE
IT Services	-1.7%	-10.1%	-15.1%	BELOW
Airlines	+3.5%	-3.4%	+5.0%	ABOVE
Hospitality & Travel	+0.8%	-1.6%	-1.5%	BELOW
Food & Restaurant	+0.9%	-0.5%	+5.3%	ABOVE
Logistics	-0.8%	+0.3%	+17.3%	ABOVE
Industrial	-0.3%	+1.4%	+17.2%	ABOVE
Cybersecurity	-2.8%	-0.7%	-11.3%	BELOW
Chip Equipment	+0.7%	+4.5%	+8.7%	ABOVE
Data Center REITs	-0.5%	+7.7%	+17.0%	ABOVE
Utilities	-1.6%	+2.5%	+7.4%	ABOVE
Energy	-1.1%	-1.4%	+11.5%	ABOVE
Defense & Aerospace	-0.1%	+1.0%	+3.9%	ABOVE
Telecom	-0.0%	+6.0%	+22.4%	ABOVE
Media & Entertainment	+0.1%	-5.2%	-8.1%	BELOW
Biotech	+0.7%	+4.3%	+19.3%	ABOVE
Materials	-0.2%	+0.1%	+9.4%	ABOVE
Analog & Embedded Chips	+0.1%	+2.4%	+13.5%	ABOVE

Sector Strength

Airlines +3.5% 20d: +5.0%

United (UAL) +4.3% (20d: +5.0%), Delta (DAL) +2.7% (20d: +5.0%)

Finance +1.4% 20d: -0.7%

JPMorgan (JPM) +1.5% (20d: +1.5%) [<50MA], Goldman Sachs (GS) +1.2% (20d: -2.9%) [<50MA]

Food & Restaurant +0.9% 20d: +5.3%

Starbucks (SBUX) +1.7% (20d: +2.5%), McDonald's (MCD) +0.0% (20d: +8.2%)

Hospitality & Travel +0.8% 20d: -1.5%

Marriott (MAR) +1.7% (20d: +14.7%), Booking (BKNG) -0.0% (20d: -17.6%) [<50MA]

Chip Equipment +0.7% 20d: +8.7%

Applied Materials (AMAT) +1.2% (20d: +12.9%), ASML +0.9% (20d: +7.2%), Lam Research (LRCX) +0.0% (20d: +5.9%)

Sector Warnings

Cybersecurity -2.8% 20d: -11.3% CRITICAL

CrowdStrike (CRWD) -3.6% (20d: -6.4%) [<50MA], Zscaler (ZS) -2.9% (20d: -16.3%) [<50MA], Palo Alto Networks (PANW) -2.1% (20d: -11.2%) [<50MA]

Retail -2.2% 20d: +6.7%

Walmart (WMT) -3.8% (20d: +8.5%), Costco (COST) -0.6% (20d: +5.0%)

IT Services -1.7% 20d: -15.1% CRITICAL

Accenture (ACN) -1.9% (20d: -19.4%) [<50MA], IBM -1.6% (20d: -10.8%) [<50MA]

Utilities -1.6% 20d: +7.4%

Southern Co (SO) -2.3% (20d: +4.4%), Duke Energy (DUK) -1.2% (20d: +6.9%), NextEra Energy (NEE) -1.2% (20d: +11.0%)

Energy -1.1% 20d: +11.5%

Exxon Mobil (XOM) -1.5% (20d: +12.8%), Chevron (CVX) -0.8% (20d: +10.3%)

Sector Deep Dive

The airlines sector made a notable recovery today, led by United (UAL), which surged 4.3% to $114.02. This follows a significant 3.4% decline over the past five days, suggesting a potential bottoming out as investors speculate on a rebound in travel demand. Delta (DAL) also contributed positively, gaining 2.7% to $70.85, as the sector continues to adjust to changing consumer behaviors and economic conditions.

In the cybersecurity space, the outlook appears increasingly challenging. Zscaler (ZS) and CrowdStrike (CRWD) both fell sharply, down 2.9% to $172.59 and 3.6% to $414.29, respectively. This sector is now down 11.3% over the past 20 days, with companies facing significant headwinds from increasing competition and market saturation. Analysts are keeping a close eye on these stocks as they navigate this difficult landscape.

The infrastructure sector showed strength today, with Vertiv (VRT) leading the charge after a strong earnings report, climbing 3.8% to $243.53. This sector has seen a 1.5% increase over the last five days, supported by ongoing investments in infrastructure projects across the country. The positive sentiment surrounding infrastructure spending may provide a buffer against broader market volatility.

Market Breadth Analysis

US stock market breadth analysis shows 14 of 24 sectors trading above their 50-day moving average, while 10 are below. The majority of sectors holding above the 50-day MA indicates healthy medium-term momentum. With 16 sectors positive over 20 days, buying pressure remains broad-based.

Interactive Charts

S&P 500 & NASDAQ 100

50-Day Sector Performance

1-Day vs 5-Day Sector Change

Active Alerts

HIGH Enterprise Software down -15.8% over 20 days

HIGH IT Services down -15.1% over 20 days

HIGH Cybersecurity down -11.3% over 20 days

HIGH Enterprise Software down -27.1% over 50 days

HIGH IT Services down -17.0% over 50 days

HIGH Cybersecurity down -21.4% over 50 days

HIGH 5 sectors declining >5% over 20 days: Enterprise Software, Healthcare, IT Services, Cybersecurity, Media & Entertainment

HIGH 4 sectors declining >10% over 50 days: Enterprise Software, IT Services, Cybersecurity, Media & Entertainment

MEDIUM MSFT down -17.6% from 20-day high

MEDIUM AMZN down -17.8% from 20-day high

Stock-Level Detail

Mag 7 (AI Spenders) Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
AAPL	$263.88	+3.2%	-3.6%	+7.1%	-5.9%	BELOW	0
AMZN	$201.15	+1.2%	-2.8%	-12.9%	-12.2%	BELOW	0
NVDA	$184.97	+1.2%	-1.9%	+3.9%	+0.9%	ABOVE	0
META	$639.29	-0.1%	-4.7%	+5.8%	-3.3%	BELOW	5
GOOG	$302.82	-1.0%	-5.0%	-6.0%	-4.8%	BELOW	5
MSFT	$395.96	-1.1%	-4.0%	-12.7%	-17.5%	BELOW	5
TSLA	$410.63	-1.6%	-3.4%	-2.1%	-9.7%	BELOW	1

Chip Supply Chain Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
AVGO	$332.54	+2.3%	-2.3%	-0.0%	-12.6%	BELOW	0
QCOM	$142.63	+1.4%	+1.8%	-7.4%	-18.2%	BELOW	0
ARM	$126.89	+1.3%	+0.7%	+18.4%	-9.7%	ABOVE	0
MRVL	$79.01	+0.5%	-3.7%	-1.0%	-19.5%	BELOW	0
TSM	$364.20	-0.6%	+0.6%	+11.3%	+24.7%	ABOVE	3
INTC	$46.18	-1.3%	-2.0%	-4.9%	+14.0%	ABOVE	1
AMD	$203.08	-2.0%	-4.9%	-12.4%	-6.0%	BELOW	1

Infrastructure Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
VRT	$243.53	+3.8%	+22.0%	+39.0%	+33.4%	ABOVE	0
CSCO	$76.85	+0.0%	-10.9%	+4.8%	-0.6%	BELOW	0
DELL	$116.09	-1.2%	-7.9%	+4.5%	-16.1%	BELOW	1
SMCI	$30.11	-1.4%	-9.7%	-4.1%	-12.0%	BELOW	1
HPE	$21.97	-3.2%	-8.3%	+7.7%	-3.5%	BELOW	1

Enterprise Software Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
PLTR	$133.02	+1.2%	-4.7%	-21.1%	-25.2%	BELOW	0
NOW	$105.91	-1.1%	-0.5%	-15.5%	-36.9%	BELOW	1
ADBE	$260.45	-1.3%	-1.6%	-10.3%	-20.8%	BELOW	1
CRM	$184.29	-2.9%	-4.7%	-16.3%	-25.4%	BELOW	1

Finance Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
JPM	$307.13	+1.5%	-3.5%	+1.5%	-2.4%	BELOW	0
GS	$916.04	+1.2%	-3.5%	-2.9%	+9.3%	BELOW	0

Healthcare Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
LLY	$1036.05	-0.4%	+1.2%	-0.3%	+2.3%	BELOW	1
UNH	$289.09	-1.4%	+5.8%	-14.6%	-12.7%	BELOW	1

Retail Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
COST	$1012.05	-0.6%	+4.2%	+5.0%	+13.0%	ABOVE	1
WMT	$128.85	-3.8%	+1.7%	+8.5%	+12.4%	ABOVE	1

IT Services Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
IBM	$258.31	-1.6%	-11.5%	-10.8%	-15.7%	BELOW	1
ACN	$219.89	-1.9%	-8.7%	-19.4%	-18.4%	BELOW	1

Airlines Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
UAL	$114.02	+4.3%	-2.0%	+5.0%	+8.9%	ABOVE	0
DAL	$70.66	+2.7%	-4.8%	+5.0%	+5.4%	ABOVE	0

Hospitality & Travel Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
MAR	$359.25	+1.7%	+0.2%	+14.7%	+21.6%	ABOVE	0
BKNG	$165.61	-0.0%	-3.3%	-17.6%	-17.5%	BELOW	3

Food & Restaurant Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
SBUX	$95.39	+1.7%	-1.6%	+2.5%	+12.9%	ABOVE	0
MCD	$327.62	+0.0%	+0.5%	+8.2%	+6.2%	ABOVE	0

Logistics Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
FDX	$375.30	+0.2%	+2.0%	+24.7%	+37.6%	ABOVE	0
UPS	$115.51	-1.8%	-1.3%	+9.9%	+23.6%	ABOVE	1

Industrial Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
HON	$241.45	+0.5%	-0.3%	+12.8%	+26.2%	ABOVE	0
CAT	$764.76	-1.2%	+3.0%	+21.6%	+27.9%	ABOVE	1

Cybersecurity Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
PANW	$163.50	-2.1%	-1.2%	-11.2%	-16.4%	BELOW	1
ZS	$172.59	-2.9%	-1.0%	-16.3%	-28.6%	BELOW	1
CRWD	$414.29	-3.6%	+0.2%	-6.4%	-19.3%	BELOW	1

Chip Equipment Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA
AMAT	$358.68	+1.2%	+9.1%	+12.9%	+33.3%	ABOVE
ASML	$1419.78	+0.9%	+0.4%	+7.2%	+28.1%	ABOVE
LRCX	$235.58	+0.0%	+4.0%	+5.9%	+50.0%	ABOVE

Data Center REITs Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
EQIX	$946.81	-0.4%	+11.1%	+21.4%	+31.1%	ABOVE	2
DLR	$179.89	-0.6%	+4.3%	+12.7%	+12.6%	ABOVE	1

Utilities Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
NEE	$92.08	-1.2%	+2.1%	+11.0%	+11.2%	ABOVE	1
DUK	$126.71	-1.2%	+3.4%	+6.9%	+8.3%	ABOVE	1
SO	$92.00	-2.3%	+2.2%	+4.4%	+6.2%	ABOVE	1

Energy Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
CVX	$180.55	-0.8%	+0.0%	+10.3%	+19.7%	ABOVE	1
XOM	$146.19	-1.5%	-2.9%	+12.8%	+25.6%	ABOVE	3

Defense & Aerospace Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
RTX	$202.83	+1.7%	+4.3%	+3.6%	+18.8%	ABOVE	0
LMT	$649.58	-0.5%	+3.2%	+12.8%	+44.9%	ABOVE	1
GD	$342.52	-1.5%	-4.5%	-4.6%	+0.6%	BELOW	1

Telecom Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
TMUS	$218.56	+0.1%	+10.1%	+19.6%	+5.6%	ABOVE	0
T	$28.68	-0.0%	+4.6%	+22.3%	+14.3%	ABOVE	2
VZ	$48.93	-0.2%	+3.2%	+25.2%	+20.6%	ABOVE	2

Media & Entertainment Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
NFLX	$77.00	+0.2%	-6.3%	-11.8%	-25.4%	BELOW	0
DIS	$105.44	-0.0%	-4.1%	-4.4%	+0.6%	BELOW	1

Biotech Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
AMGN	$373.36	+1.1%	+3.1%	+13.6%	+10.5%	ABOVE	0
GILD	$155.27	+0.2%	+5.5%	+25.1%	+27.5%	ABOVE	0

Materials Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
LIN	$482.22	+0.3%	+4.7%	+11.3%	+19.4%	ABOVE	0
APD	$277.69	-0.7%	-4.5%	+7.6%	+6.9%	ABOVE	3

Analog & Embedded Chips Show individual tickers

Ticker	Price	1D	5D	20D	50D	vs 50MA	Down Days
MCHP	$78.48	+0.5%	+2.7%	+7.9%	+22.0%	ABOVE	0
TXN	$225.69	-0.2%	+2.2%	+19.0%	+25.3%	ABOVE	1

Key Stock Movers

Today's biggest movers by absolute percentage change: United (UAL) (Airlines) rose 4.3% to $114.02. Vertiv (VRT) (Infrastructure) rose 3.8% to $243.53. Walmart (WMT) (Retail) fell 3.8% to $128.85. CrowdStrike (CRWD) (Cybersecurity) fell 3.6% to $414.29. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) (Infrastructure) fell 3.2% to $21.97. These individual stock movements were key drivers of their respective sector performance.

Risk and Opportunity Assessment

On the risk side, 8 high-severity alerts are currently active, signaling significant sector declines that warrant portfolio risk management attention. Consider reducing exposure to affected sectors and tightening stop-loss levels.

US Stock Market Outlook

Looking ahead, breadth metrics indicate that 13 sectors are above their 50-day moving averages, signaling potential strength in certain areas while 10 sectors remain below, highlighting ongoing vulnerabilities. With high alert counts in enterprise software, IT services, and cybersecurity, caution is advised for investors. Positioning for potential rebounds in resilient sectors like airlines and infrastructure may offer the best opportunities in the near term.

Hypothetical Portfolio

SIMULATION

Value $103,714

P&L +3.71%

Today -0.14%

View full portfolio → Simulation only. Not investment advice.

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