The S&P 500 Index gained 0.6% in New York, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index rallied 0.8%. Investors snapped up beaten-down stocks following a stretch of volatile trading driven by concern about the potential disruption that AI poses to a bevy of sectors. New residential construction in the US also rose to a five-month high in the final month of last year. “Figuring out the winners and losers in AI is likely to be a center theme in 2026. New York Times Co shares rose after Berkshire Hathaway built a stake in the publisher, while slashing its holding in Amazon by more than 75%.

Source: The Edge Markets February 18, 2026 23:12 UTC