GoAI Market Wrap - 14th Feb
Stock Market
On Friday, U.S. indices finished mixed as the S&P 500 ended virtually flat, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average edged higher and the Nasdaq Composite declined.
By the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.10% to 49,500.93, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite finished at 6,836.17 (+0.05%) and 22,546.67 (-0.22%), respectively.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that January CPI rose 2.4% year-over-year and 0.2% month-over-month, both coming in below market expectations. Phil Blancato, Chief Market Strategist at Osaic, noted that this trend, if sustained, "will pave the way for rate cuts and taming inflation," which would be welcome news for Kevin Warsh, widely expected to be the next Fed Chair.
Despite the positive inflation data, all three major indices ended the week lower: the S&P 500 dropped 1.4% for its second consecutive weekly decline, the Dow fell 1.2%, and the Nasdaq slid 2.1%.
Fears surrounding AI disruption rattled markets throughout the week, with selling pressure spreading from software to real estate, trucking, and financial services.
Notable weekly decliners included Charles Schwab (-10.8%), Morgan Stanley (-4.9%), and CBRE (-16.0%). Barclays analyst Emmanuel Cau observed that investors are showing no mercy to assets perceived as "AI losers," a list that continues to grow and drive divergence between the "Old" and "New" economies.
Global Markets
Trump Confirms Second Carrier Deployment to Middle East
President Trump confirmed on February 13 that the U.S. is sending a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East to pressure Iran into a deal. Trump stated that if an agreement is not reached, the second carrier is necessary, but it would "leave very quickly" if a deal is secured.
Trump Announces Intent to Visit Venezuela
During a media interview, President Trump stated, "I will be visiting Venezuela," though he provided no specific timeline or itinerary for the trip.
Macron Calls for New European Security Architecture
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Europe to focus on long-term strategic thinking, including evaluating how France's nuclear deterrent integrates into future EU security. He emphasized that the Cold War-era security architecture is no longer applicable and Europe must act as a geopolitical entity based on its own interests.
Corporate News
SpaceX Weighs Dual-Class Share Structure for Potential IPO
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly considering a dual-class share structure for its IPO, which would grant insiders dominant voting power even with a minority stake. The company is also adding new board members to guide the IPO process and support Musk’s broader space ambitions.
OpenAI Voice Technology Tapped for Military Drone Challenge
OpenAI has partnered with defense firms to develop voice-controlled drone swarm software for the Pentagon, converting vocal commands into digital instructions. The tech aims to allow drone swarms to make decisions and execute missions without human intervention as part of a prize challenge.
Anthropic Appoints Former GM CFO Ahead of 2026 Listing
AI firm Anthropic has added Chris Liddell, former CFO of Microsoft and General Motors, to its board as it targets a 2026 IPO. Liddell famously led GM’s $23 billion IPO in 2010.
Musk Explores Refinancing to Cut Debt Costs Following SpaceX-xAI Merger
Following the merger of SpaceX and xAI, Elon Musk’s banking team is exploring refinancing options to reduce high interest costs on his estimated $18 billion debt load. The move is intended to clean up the balance sheet ahead of a potential IPO later this year.
Forex & Commodities
WTI Crude Oil settled up 0.08% at $62.89/bbl, ending the week down 1.12%.
Brent Crude rose 0.34% to $67.75/bbl, a weekly decline of 0.41%.
COMEX Gold jumped 2.33% to $5,063.80/oz (+1.51% weekly), and COMEX Silver rose 2.1% to $77.27/oz.
Key Event
U.S. Inflation Cools in January, but Fed Likely to Remain in "Wait-and-See" Mode
According to data released by the Department of Labor on Friday, U.S. consumer price growth came in below market expectations for January, providing some relief to households.
However, with many businesses traditionally hiking prices at the start of the year and the labor market remaining stable, these factors may prompt the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates steady for a longer period until they are convinced inflation is firmly under control.
Cryptocurrency
Key Event
"Whale" with 710,000 BTC Teeters Near Bankruptcy as Prices Crater
The cryptocurrency market is facing extreme volatility, with Bitcoin plummeting from its October 2025 peak of over $120,000 to briefly touch $60,000.
On February 5, 2026, the Bitcoin "whale" Strategy reported a Q4 net loss of $12.4 billion, primarily due to $17.4 billion in mark-to-market valuation losses.
As of year-end 2025, Strategy held 713,502 BTC at an average cost of $76,052; with prices dropping, the firm's paper loss briefly approached $9 billion, its first dip below cost basis since 2023.