Daily Market Report – February 19, 2026

The geopolitical tensions between the USA and Iran led to rising oil prices, and increasingly nervous investors sought refuge in precious metals. The stock markets corrected. Brent TVC:UKOIL rose to $71.58/barrel, WTI TVC:USOIL to $66.53/barrel; Gold TVC:GOLD climbed to $5,007.46/ounce and Silver TVC:SILVER to $78.25/ounce.

Numerous companies reported their corporate figures for the past quarter. Walmart's NASDAQ:WMT revenue in Q4 rose to $190.7 billion (+5.6%). The new CEO John Furner pointed out that the company is currently benefiting primarily from higher-income customers. Online sales increased by 24% in the fourth quarter. However, the outlook remained deliberately cautious (including 3.5–4.5% revenue growth).

In Germany, Hochtief XETR:HOT reported business figures. Jefferies described the results presented today as rather disappointing: Although the operational environment in the data center and infrastructure business remains robust, the company data is insufficient to drive another surge in the stock price. The Hochtief stock has recently risen from a low of 138 euros in July 2025 to over 404 euros. Considering that the company reported an operating profit per share of 10.49 euros for 2025 and that revenue growth was at 14.8%, the stock is currently extremely highly valued for a construction company despite special factors (data centers, energy transition, defense spending). The stock fell after the figures were released.

The US economy remains robust with low unemployment numbers, despite a high trade deficit. Initial jobless claims in the USA fell in the week ending February 14 to 206,000 (−23,000 compared to the previous week), while continuing claims rose to 1.869 million; the labor market remains firm without a new wave of layoffs appearing. The trade deficit in goods jumped in December to $98.5 billion (from $82.8 billion) as goods imports increased and goods exports declined.