Weekly US Stock Market Summary
The U.S. stock market delivered a resilient performance for the holiday-shortened week ending February 20, 2026, as a landmark Supreme Court ruling outweighed a backdrop of decelerating growth and stubborn inflation. Despite U.S. markets being closed Monday for Presidents’ Day, indices trended higher through Thursday before a Friday rally solidified weekly gains.
The week’s primary catalyst was the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Trump administration’s sweeping global tariffs. This sparked a wave of optimism, particularly in import-dependent sectors. The Nasdaq Composite led the charge, gaining 1.51% for its first positive week since early January. The S&P 500 and S&P MidCap 400 also advanced over 1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged with a modest 0.25% gain.
The rally occurred despite heavy economic headwinds:
Slowing Growth: Fourth-quarter GDP growth cooled sharply to an annual rate of 1.4% (down from 4.4% in Q3), hampered by drops in government spending, exports, and consumer activity.
Inflation Pressure: The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, the Core PCE price index, accelerated to 3.0% year-over-year in December. This data, coupled with Fed minutes showing policymakers are deeply divided on whether to cut or potentially raise rates, kept investors on edge regarding the path of monetary policy.
Manufacturing Slump: The Flash U.S. Composite PMI hit a 10-month low in February, though business optimism for the year ahead reached a 13-month high.
Energy markets remained in focus as escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran drove oil prices higher. While this provided a tailwind for energy stocks, it added a layer of geopolitical risk that capped broader market enthusiasm earlier in the week.
That is all I could summarise about what happened in the stock market last week. Have a great weekend!
$VOOV (Vanguard S&P 500 Value ETF)... Show More
Not investment advice. The author may have financial interests in the mentioned instruments.
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Wed Aug 12 2026 16:42:23 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
