Global Markets: US Major Indices Close Lower, Most Large Tech Stocks Decline, International Oil Prices Rise Over 2%

U.S. Stock Market: The three major U.S. stock indices all declined on February 19. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 267.5 points to 49,395.16, down 0.54%; the S&P 500 dropped 19.42 points to 6,861.89, down 0.28%; the Nasdaq Composite decreased 70.9 points to 22,682.73, down 0.31%.

Most large tech stocks closed lower, with Apple, Netflix, and Intel down over 1%, while Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia saw slight declines; Amazon, Tesla, and Meta rose modestly.

Oil and gas stocks mostly gained, with Western Oil rising over 9%, EQT Energy and Apache Oil up over 1%. Airlines mostly declined, with United Airlines and Delta down over 5%, Southwest Airlines nearly 5% lower.

Most popular Chinese concept stocks declined, with the Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index down 0.35%. TSMC fell 0.52%, Alibaba down 0.96%, Pinduoduo down 0.94%, Bitdeer Technologies Group-A down 17.38%, Baidu down 0.55%, Futu Holdings up 0.65%, JD.com down 0.51%, ASE Technology Holdings down 0.69%, Ctrip down 2.28%, NIO up 0.41%.

European Markets: The three major European stock indices all declined on February 19. The FTSE 100 in London closed at 10,627.04, down 59.14 points or 0.55%; the CAC 40 in Paris closed at 8,398.78, down 30.25 points or 0.36%; the DAX in Frankfurt closed at 25,043.57, down 234.64 points or 0.93%.

Commodity Markets: International oil prices rose on February 19. By the close, NYMEX WTI crude futures for the current month increased $1.62 to $66.67 per barrel, up 2.49%. COMEX gold futures for the current month rose $6.00 to $5,015.50 per ounce, up 0.12%. COMEX silver futures increased $0.84 to $78.44 per ounce, up 1.09%. Spot gold rose $18.80 to $4,996.30 per ounce, up 0.38%. Spot silver increased $1.32 to $78.50 per ounce, up 1.71%.

Overnight Headlines

Trump Says Iran Must Reach a “Meaningful Agreement” with the U.S.

On February 19, U.S. President Trump stated that Iran must reach a “meaningful agreement” with the U.S., or “bad things will happen.” Trump made the remarks during the first meeting of the so-called “Peace Committee” at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, referencing last June’s U.S. airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, and reiterated that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons.

NY Fed Report Sparks White House Criticism; Hassett Calls for Accountability; Kashkari Responds

Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said that Kevin Hassett’s criticism of the NY Fed’s research damages the Fed’s independence. On February 19, Kashkari told reporters, “This is just another attempt to undermine the Fed’s independence. Over the past year, we’ve seen multiple efforts to do so. Ultimately, it’s about monetary policy.”

Trump Considers Limited Strike to Force Iran into Agreement

According to The Wall Street Journal, on February 19, President Trump is considering a “limited” military strike on Iran to pressure it into accepting U.S. nuclear demands. Sources say if authorized, the operation could be launched within days, targeting “a few military or government facilities” to apply pressure rather than full-scale war — seen as a phased first step. The report notes that if Iran continues to refuse to halt uranium enrichment as demanded, the U.S. might expand the scope of strikes or even aim to destabilize the Iranian regime.

AI Stocks Surge 70%! Valuations Skyrocket — $1.45 Trillion Floods In!

AI giants’ valuations soar! Recent reports indicate OpenAI’s new funding round could push its valuation past $100 billion. Including this round, OpenAI’s total valuation may exceed $850 billion, a 70% increase from the end of last year.

UK Prime Minister Appoints New Cabinet Secretary

On February 19, the UK Cabinet Office announced that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appointed Antonia Romeo as Cabinet Secretary and top civil servant. The Cabinet Office said Romeo previously served as Permanent Secretary at the Home Office, and this is the first time a woman has held the position of Cabinet Secretary in UK history.

Modi’s Hand Raises Cheers; Two AI Leaders Clash Uncomfortably

At the India AI Summit, CEOs of US AI firms OpenAI and Anthropic deliberately did not shake hands during a photo op, sparking discussion. On February 19, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a speech at the summit and took photos with tech executives.

Gold and Oil Rally Strongly! How to Spot Opportunities in Commodities?

The volatile commodity markets have rebounded. On February 19, during Asian trading hours, gold and oil continued their rally, with gold prices back above $5,000 per ounce. Overall, analysts remain optimistic about the outlook for commodities, with hard assets becoming a new favorite for investors.

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