Hi there,

Yesterday, Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Wall Street returned from the holiday break with a cautious but resilient tone. While the "SaaSpocalypse" narrative continued to weigh on specific software names due to AI-disruption fears, mega-cap tech and AI infrastructure stocks stabilized, allowing the major indices to log modest gains.

📉 Active Option Trade Tracker

Our active positions have shown excellent resilience through the recent volatility. We continue to benefit from time decay as we approach the final ten days of the February cycle.

• TLT Feb 20th Short $86 Put: ROI +0.84%. Expires Friday and we will make full profit!
• US 500 Feb 27th Short 6400 Put (IG): ROI +2.82%.
• XSP Feb 27th $640 Short Put (IBKR): ROI +1.37%.

No action required on any of these trades. We are letting them run to expiry. Both the US 500 and XSP trades remain a comfortable 6.5% above breakeven with a 94% probability of profit.

📋 Long-Term Buy Watchlist Update

We are expanding our horizons as the market re-prices some of the world's highest-quality companies.

• DELL, NVDA & AMD: These remain our high-conviction hardware plays. DELL closed at $116.09 yesterday, continuing to consolidate ahead of its earnings later this month. NVDA saw some mild pressure to close near $180.47, which is keeping it firmly in our "strike zone."
• New Additions to Watchlist: We have officially added MSFT, NFLX, AMZN, and MA (Mastercard) to our watchlist.
• Wait & See: For CRM, PYPL, and ORCL, we are looking for a definitive end to the "lower low" pattern. We are encouraged by the stabilization in the broader indices yesterday and will be looking for these names to follow suit.

📅 Market Review for Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Overview: The markets witnessed a "calm before the storm" atmosphere yesterday. While software names remained under pressure, Amazon halted its recent slide, ending a losing streak sparked by its massive CapEx guidance. Investors are now focused on the 10-year Treasury yield, which is hovering around the critical 4.00% level.

🏛️ FX & Crypto Review

• Bitcoin (BTC): Slipped -1.07% to settle near $67,755. The digital asset continues its February consolidation, now down about 13% for the month.
• EUR/USD: Held steady near 1.1883 as the Dollar Index (DXY) attempted to break its 2026 downtrend.
• XRP: Faced mild pressure, trading near $1.35 alongside the broader crypto retreat.

📈 Major Indices & Commodities

• S&P 500: Gained +0.10%, closing at 6,843.22.
• Nasdaq Composite: Rose +0.14%, finishing at 22,578.38.
• Dow Jones Industrial Average: Inched up +0.07%, closing at 49,533.19.
• Gold: Faced significant selling pressure, dropping -2.18% to $4,936 per ounce.
• Silver: Tumbled -4.50% to settle at $74.45 per ounce as risk premiums unwound.
• WTI Crude Oil: Traded higher, settling around $64.00 per barrel.

📊 Specific Stock Performance (Verified Closing Prices)

• AMZN (Amazon): Up +1.19% ($201.15). A vital bounce for the retail and cloud giant after a rough start to the month.
• ORCL (Oracle): Up +2.11% ($159.89). Continuing to buck the general software trend.
• DELL (Dell Technologies): Down -1.19% ($116.09). Consolidating ahead of its February 26th earnings report.
• MSFT (Microsoft): Down -1.11% ($396.86). New Watchlist: Trading at levels not seen in some time; we are watching for a base here.
• NVDA (Nvidia): Down -1.28% ($180.47). Watchlist: Healthy consolidation within its broader uptrend.

📞 Strategy Call Assistance

If you require assistance with trade setup, risk management, or strategy review, please schedule a strategy call.

• PREMIUM Plan Members: Strategy calls are included in your plan.
• All Other Members: Strategy calls can be scheduled at a rate of €100 per half hour.

Happy Investing

Share Navigator Support

www.sharenavigator.ie