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US Stock Market Sector Analysis – Monday, February 23, 2026 BEARISH

US equity markets closed lower today amid rising tariff uncertainties, with 14 out of 23 sectors declining. Notably, the AI-focused stocks in the Magnificent 7 saw a collective drop of 1.5%, with Microsoft (MSFT) falling 3.2% to $384.47 and Amazon (AMZN) sliding 2.3% to $205.27. In contrast, T-Mobile (TMUS) in the Telecom sector bucked the trend, gaining 2.1% to $219.95, while CrowdStrike (CRWD) suffered a significant loss of 9.8% to $350.33 following the launch of a new AI tool by Anthropic that rattled the cybersecurity space.

Sector Performance (Base=100)

Today's Market Events

Key Headlines

  • IBM IBM Stock Stung By New Anthropic Tool As Wall Street's AI Jitters Spread Yahoo
  • US Equity Markets Close Lower Amid Tariff Uncertainty Yahoo
  • Zscaler (ZS) Zscaler Airtel Alliance Deepens AI Security And India Market Influence Yahoo
  • CrowdStrike, Datadog and other cybersecurity stocks slide after Anthropic's AI tool launch Yahoo
  • CrowdStrike (CRWD) Why CrowdStrike Plunged For the Second Day In A Row Yahoo
  • Accenture (ACN) Accenture Struck a Deal With OpenAi. The Stock Is Still Sliding Despite New OpenAI Deal. Yahoo
  • US Equity Indexes Slump as Tariff Uncertainties Mount Yahoo
  • Here’s what airlines, hotels and Airbnb actually owe travelers stranded in Mexico MarketWatch

AI and Technology Sector Analysis

The AI and technology investment theme remains under pressure, particularly among the Magnificent 7 stocks, which are experiencing a notable downturn. With the recent introduction of advanced AI tools, investors are concerned about competition and profitability, leading to declines in stocks like Accenture (ACN), down 6.6% to $201.18, and a sharp drop in cybersecurity stocks such as Zscaler (ZS), which fell 10.3% to $143.28. The chip supply chain and enterprise software sectors also reflect this uncertainty, with broader implications for infrastructure investments.

US Stock Sector Overview

Sector 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA
Mag 7 (AI Spenders) -1.5% +0.5% -6.4% BELOW
Chip Supply Chain -1.3% -1.3% -2.5% BELOW
Infrastructure -2.4% +1.8% +12.6% BELOW
Enterprise Software -3.8% -3.8% -22.4% BELOW
Finance -3.7% -2.8% -2.7% BELOW
Healthcare +1.1% -0.1% -10.1% BELOW
Retail +1.2% -2.5% +4.0% ABOVE
IT Services -9.9% -11.0% -26.3% BELOW
Airlines -4.4% -5.8% -0.7% BELOW
Hospitality & Travel -3.3% -5.7% -8.0% BELOW
Food & Restaurant -0.6% +0.7% +2.6% ABOVE
Logistics -1.3% +0.9% +16.8% ABOVE
Industrial -0.4% -0.5% +14.4% ABOVE
Cybersecurity -7.7% -14.8% -26.7% BELOW
Chip Equipment -0.2% +3.9% +10.3% ABOVE
Data Center REITs +1.1% -1.4% +13.1% ABOVE
Utilities +1.3% +1.9% +8.5% ABOVE
Energy +1.4% +2.8% +11.1% ABOVE
Defense & Aerospace -0.6% +1.0% +4.5% ABOVE
Telecom +1.6% +0.4% +21.3% ABOVE
Media & Entertainment -2.2% -1.1% -8.7% BELOW
Biotech +0.1% -0.9% +8.6% ABOVE
Materials +0.5% +2.7% +8.7% ABOVE

Sector Strength

Telecom +1.6% 20d: +21.3%
T-Mobile (TMUS) +2.1% (20d: +17.0%), AT&T (T) +1.9% (20d: +21.6%), Verizon (VZ) +0.9% (20d: +25.4%)
Energy +1.4% 20d: +11.1%
Exxon Mobil (XOM) +2.4% (20d: +11.8%), Chevron (CVX) +0.5% (20d: +10.4%)
Utilities +1.3% 20d: +8.5%
NextEra Energy (NEE) +2.0% (20d: +10.1%), Southern Co (SO) +0.9% (20d: +8.0%), Duke Energy (DUK) +0.8% (20d: +7.6%)
Retail +1.2% 20d: +4.0%
Walmart (WMT) +2.3% (20d: +6.9%), Costco (COST) +0.1% (20d: +1.0%)
Healthcare +1.1% 20d: -10.1%
Eli Lilly (LLY) +4.9% (20d: -0.4%), UnitedHealth (UNH) -2.6% (20d: -19.7%) [<50MA]

Sector Warnings

IT Services -9.9% 20d: -26.3% CRITICAL
IBM -13.1% (20d: -24.2%) [<50MA], Accenture (ACN) -6.6% (20d: -28.3%) [<50MA]
Cybersecurity -7.7% 20d: -26.7% CRITICAL
Zscaler (ZS) -10.3% (20d: -33.2%) [<50MA], CrowdStrike (CRWD) -9.8% (20d: -25.2%) [<50MA], Palo Alto Networks (PANW) -3.1% (20d: -21.8%) [<50MA]
Airlines -4.4% 20d: -0.7%
United (UAL) -5.2% (20d: -0.5%) [<50MA], Delta (DAL) -3.7% (20d: -0.9%) [<50MA]
Enterprise Software -3.8% 20d: -22.4% CRITICAL
Adobe (ADBE) -4.6% (20d: -19.0%) [<50MA], Salesforce (CRM) -3.8% (20d: -22.3%) [<50MA], Palantir (PLTR) -3.4% (20d: -22.0%) [<50MA]
Finance -3.7% 20d: -2.7%
JPMorgan (JPM) -4.2% (20d: -1.1%) [<50MA], Goldman Sachs (GS) -3.2% (20d: -4.2%) [<50MA]

Sector Deep Dive

The Cybersecurity sector faces significant challenges, highlighted by CrowdStrike (CRWD) and Zscaler (ZS) both plummeting over 9% today. The launch of Anthropic's AI tool has created jitters across the industry, causing investors to reassess the growth prospects and competitive landscape of cybersecurity firms. This sector has seen a substantial 26.7% decline over the past 20 days, prompting heightened alert levels as companies struggle to maintain investor confidence.

In stark contrast, the Energy sector shows resilience, with Exxon Mobil (XOM) gaining 2.4% to $150.76 and NextEra Energy (NEE) increasing 2.0% to $94.06. This sector has performed well, achieving an 11.1% rise over the last 20 days and remaining above its 50-day moving average. The ongoing demand for energy, alongside favorable pricing dynamics, supports a positive outlook for this sector amidst broader market volatility.

The IT Services sector, however, faces a dismal outlook, with Accenture (ACN) and IBM (IBM) both experiencing significant declines of 6.6% and 13.1% respectively. This sector has suffered a 26.3% drop over the last 20 days, driven by concerns over profitability in the face of emerging AI technologies. The market's reaction indicates a critical need for IT firms to adapt swiftly to the evolving technology landscape to regain investor trust.

Market Breadth Analysis

US stock market breadth analysis shows 12 of 23 sectors trading above their 50-day moving average, while 11 are below. The majority of sectors holding above the 50-day MA indicates healthy medium-term momentum. With 13 sectors positive over 20 days, buying pressure remains broad-based.

Interactive Charts

S&P 500 & NASDAQ 100

20-Day Sector Performance

1-Day vs 5-Day Sector Change

Active Alerts

HIGH Enterprise Software down -22.4% over 20 days
HIGH Healthcare down -10.1% over 20 days
HIGH IT Services down -26.3% over 20 days
HIGH Cybersecurity down -26.7% over 20 days
HIGH 7 sectors declining >5% over 20 days: Mag 7 (AI Spenders), Enterprise Software, Healthcare, IT Services, Hospitality & Travel, Cybersecurity, Media & Entertainment
MEDIUM MSFT down -20.2% from 20-day high
MEDIUM AMZN down -16.1% from 20-day high

Stock-Level Detail

Mag 7 (AI Spenders) Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
NVDA $191.55 +0.9% +3.6% +2.7% ABOVE 0
AAPL $266.18 +0.6% +0.9% +4.3% ABOVE 0
GOOG $311.69 -1.0% +2.9% -6.6% BELOW 1
AMZN $205.27 -2.3% +2.0% -13.9% BELOW 1
META $637.25 -2.8% -0.3% -5.2% BELOW 1
TSLA $399.83 -2.9% -2.6% -8.1% BELOW 1
MSFT $384.47 -3.2% -2.9% -18.2% BELOW 3
Chip Supply Chain Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
TSM $370.04 -0.1% +1.6% +11.2% ABOVE 1
AVGO $330.34 -0.7% -0.7% +1.7% BELOW 2
ARM $123.78 -1.4% -2.5% +7.9% ABOVE 3
QCOM $140.41 -1.7% -1.6% -9.1% BELOW 1
AMD $196.60 -1.8% -3.2% -21.8% BELOW 2
MRVL $77.79 -2.1% -1.5% -4.9% BELOW 2
Infrastructure Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
VRT $245.42 +0.7% +0.8% +35.4% ABOVE 0
DELL $119.14 -2.6% +2.6% +2.8% BELOW 1
SMCI $30.71 -5.3% +2.0% -0.3% BELOW 1
Enterprise Software Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
NOW $100.80 -3.3% -4.8% -26.1% BELOW 3
PLTR $130.60 -3.4% -1.8% -22.0% BELOW 1
CRM $178.16 -3.8% -3.3% -22.3% BELOW 3
ADBE $246.68 -4.6% -5.3% -19.0% BELOW 3
Finance Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
GS $892.31 -3.2% -2.6% -4.2% BELOW 1
JPM $297.67 -4.2% -3.1% -1.1% BELOW 1
Healthcare Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
LLY $1058.56 +4.9% +2.2% -0.4% ABOVE 0
UNH $282.34 -2.6% -2.3% -19.7% BELOW 1
Retail Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
WMT $125.81 +2.3% -2.4% +6.9% ABOVE 0
COST $986.02 +0.1% -2.6% +1.0% ABOVE 0
IT Services Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
ACN $201.18 -6.6% -8.5% -28.3% BELOW 1
IBM $223.35 -13.1% -13.5% -24.2% BELOW 1
Airlines Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
DAL $66.88 -3.7% -5.6% -0.9% BELOW 1
UAL $107.17 -5.2% -6.0% -0.5% BELOW 1
Hospitality & Travel Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
MAR $342.62 -1.5% -4.8% +8.2% ABOVE 4
BKNG $3870.83 -5.1% -6.5% -24.2% BELOW 1
Food & Restaurant Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
MCD $334.56 +1.6% +2.1% +6.9% ABOVE 0
SBUX $94.78 -2.8% -0.6% -1.6% ABOVE 1
Logistics Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
FDX $383.71 -1.2% +2.2% +26.0% ABOVE 1
UPS $115.02 -1.5% -0.4% +7.5% ABOVE 1
Industrial Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
HON $243.06 -0.4% +0.2% +9.9% ABOVE 1
CAT $756.47 -0.4% -1.1% +19.0% ABOVE 2
Cybersecurity Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
PANW $144.14 -3.1% -11.8% -21.8% BELOW 5
CRWD $350.33 -9.8% -15.4% -25.2% BELOW 2
ZS $143.28 -10.3% -17.0% -33.2% BELOW 5
Chip Equipment Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
ASML $1485.99 +1.1% +4.7% +5.3% ABOVE 0
AMAT $373.55 -0.5% +4.1% +16.9% ABOVE 1
LRCX $242.27 -1.1% +2.8% +8.7% ABOVE 1
Data Center REITs Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
EQIX $945.64 +1.9% -0.7% +17.3% ABOVE 0
DLR $176.09 +0.2% -2.1% +9.0% ABOVE 0
Utilities Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
NEE $94.06 +2.0% +1.5% +10.1% ABOVE 0
SO $95.18 +0.9% +3.5% +8.0% ABOVE 0
DUK $127.79 +0.8% +0.9% +7.6% ABOVE 0
Energy Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
XOM $150.76 +2.4% +3.1% +11.8% ABOVE 0
CVX $184.91 +0.5% +2.4% +10.4% ABOVE 0
Defense & Aerospace Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
LMT $660.62 +0.4% +1.7% +13.6% ABOVE 0
GD $348.98 -0.7% +1.9% -4.0% BELOW 2
RTX $201.92 -1.5% -0.4% +4.0% ABOVE 1
Telecom Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
TMUS $219.95 +2.1% +0.2% +17.0% ABOVE 0
T $28.52 +1.9% -0.6% +21.6% ABOVE 0
VZ $49.68 +0.9% +1.5% +25.4% ABOVE 0
Media & Entertainment Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
DIS $104.41 -1.1% -1.0% -6.2% BELOW 3
NFLX $76.02 -3.4% -1.3% -11.3% BELOW 1
Biotech Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
AMGN $379.42 +1.2% +1.6% +8.5% ABOVE 0
GILD $149.83 -1.0% -3.5% +8.7% ABOVE 1
Materials Show individual tickers
Ticker Price 1D 5D 20D vs 50MA Down Days
APD $283.25 +0.7% +2.0% +7.9% ABOVE 0
LIN $498.19 +0.3% +3.3% +9.5% ABOVE 0

Key Stock Movers

Today's biggest movers by absolute percentage change: IBM (IT Services) fell 13.1% to $223.35. Zscaler (ZS) (Cybersecurity) fell 10.3% to $143.28. CrowdStrike (CRWD) (Cybersecurity) fell 9.8% to $350.33. Accenture (ACN) (IT Services) fell 6.6% to $201.18. Super Micro (SMCI) (Infrastructure) fell 5.3% to $30.71. These individual stock movements were key drivers of their respective sector performance.

Risk and Opportunity Assessment

On the risk side, 5 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, the market sentiment remains cautious with 11 sectors currently below their 50-day moving average. The breadth of the market is concerning, particularly with alerts indicating significant declines across multiple sectors, including IT Services and Cybersecurity. Investors should consider defensive positioning while monitoring potential recovery signals in resilient sectors like Energy and Telecom.

Hypothetical Portfolio

SIMULATION
Value $103,272
P&L +3.27%
Today -1.16%
View full portfolio → Simulation only. Not investment advice.
← 2026-02-20
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