Dow Jones, S&P 500, Nasdaq open higher amid easing investor concerns over AI; US Fed's minutes release in focus
US stock market today: The benchmark US stock market indices like the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq Composite open higher on Wednesday, 18 February 2026, amid easing investor concerns over artificial intelligence (AI). The investors will also keep their focus on the US Fed’s minutes release, which is scheduled for later today.
NASDAQ Index, S&P 500 and Dow Jones Forecast – US Indices Looking to Continue Recovery
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Read MoreThe Ultimate AI Technology Stock to Buy With $1,000 Right Now
Qualcomm’s stock price has been upended for short-term reasons, setting up a long-term buying opportunity.
It has been a tough few weeks for plenty of artificial intelligence (AI) stocks. And to be fair, some of them deserved their share price setbacks.
Not all of them, though. In several cases, investors have thrown the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.
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Read MoreStock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq rise as AI worries recede, with Fed minutes ahead
Oil prices rose on Wednesday as traders priced in continued geopolitical risk and stringent sanctions after peace talks between Russia and Ukraine appeared to collapse after only two hours.
Futures on Brent crude (BZ=F), the international pricing benchmark, rose over 2% to trade around $69,
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Consumer spending is soldiering on. Business investment continues to grow. And the economy’s expanding, albeit at a slower pace.
So where are the jobs?
The US saw almost no payroll growth last year, notching a paltry 181,000 positions, with more unemployed people than there were job openings.
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Is the Market Going to Go Lower?
The last month has been extremely difficult for the stock market. Worries over tariffs, slowing economic growth and inflation have sent the S&P 500 and NASDAQ into a correction. With fears of a bear market and even a possible recession looming, the question on everyone’s mind is what the stock market will do next.
Let’s examine the factors that are driving the market down and whether it could still fall from its current level.
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Why This Dividend Growth ETF Might Be a Smarter Play Than Chasing High Yields
When it comes to generating passive income, it’s easy to fall for the lure of high-yield dividend stocks but there’s often a catch with those eye-popping yields. Sometime, they signal companies that have maxed out their growth potential and are simply returning excess cash because they don’t have better places to put it.
That’s why seasoned investors sometimes prefer a different route,
» Read more about: Why This Dividend Growth ETF Might Be a Smarter Play Than Chasing High Yields »
Read MoreThe Spotlight
Will Bitcoin Rise 16.1x?
In November 2012, the first bitcoin halving cycle was recorded, and the event reduced the reward for mining new Bitcoin blocks by half. Every four years or so 210,000 blocks are mined and the rate at which new bitcoin is mined is cut by 50%.
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