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Market Data Table

Breakfast News: Can Video Podcasts Drive Apple Up?

February 17, 2026

Friday's Markets
S&P 500 6,836 (+0.05%)
Nasdaq 22,547 (-0.22%)
Dow 49,501 (+0.10%)
Bitcoin $69,009 (+5.18%)

A chart comparing Apple's and Spotify's market performance over the past 12 months, with Apple currently up 5% and Spotify down 27%.

1) Apple Adds Video to Podcasts for Spring

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced it'll soon be integrating video into podcasts, as it seeks to take advantage of the growing demand to watch video podcasts, as well as bringing it more in line with competitor offerings, such as from Spotify (NYSE:SPOT).

37% of people aged over 12 watch video podcasts monthly: The new feature will be in the Apple Podcasts app and is one teaser ahead of a larger product launch on March 4, which is rumored to include new MacBooks and iPad models.
"Apple counts on brand loyalty and shiny-new-update-ism in the face of techcrepitude, and it works": Fool analyst Seth Jayson spoke last month about the new product push from Apple but expressed concern about some plans, including updating Siri into what he believes to be "an AI chatbot with a feature set no different than what OpenAI, Google, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and others have been offering for years."

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2) Stocks Continue to Fall on AI Panic Trade

Concerns around artificial intelligence (AI) disruption pushed the S&P 500 down 1.85% last week, with the Nasdaq losing 2.98% as the tech-heavy index recorded a fifth straight drop for the longest losing streak since 2022. Nasdaq futures fell 0.6% ahead of the market open.

Worries around new AI tools making some companies redundant: Investors will be closely watching the AI impact summit this week, where key attendees include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) CEO Sundar Pichai. New investment deals are expected to be announced.
New model can understand text, images, and video simultaneously: Over the weekend, Alibaba (NYSE:BABA) released a refreshed AI model -- Qwen3.5 -- supporting new coding and agentic capabilities. The model is compatible with other open-source AI agents, as the race to innovate continues.

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3) Data Ahead: Fed Minutes, PCE & GDP Lead

The minutes from the latest U.S. Federal Reserve meeting will be released on Wednesday. Although the committee decided not to cut interest rates, more color around the two dissenting voters could provide market volatility.

Inflation metric likely to hit highest level since August 2025: December data for core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, is expected to rise from 2.8% last month to 2.9% when it's released on Friday.
Economy due to show resilience and expansion: Friday also brings key economic data with preliminary fourth-quarter U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) figures, with 3% growth forecasted. Preliminary February manufacturing and services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data are both expected to show expansion versus January.

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4) Key Platform Marketplace Earnings Due

DoorDash (NASDAQ:DASH) reports after the closing bell on Wednesday. The Hidden Gems recommendation will be aiming to keep a lid on costs, which acted to taint an otherwise strong quarter last time around.
Fiverr International (NYSE:FVRR) should post before the market opens on Wednesday, having missed analyst revenue estimates only twice in the past two years. Fiverr will be keen to disprove some notions from last quarter that AI could reduce consumers' need for it.
Booking Holdings (NASDAQ:BKNG) is expected to deliver double-digit percentage gains in both quarterly revenue and earnings when it reports following the market close on Wednesday, building on demand from flights and alternative stays from last quarter.

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5) Coming Up: Results From SA Recs by Team Hidden Gems

Lemonade (NYSE:LMND) should release earnings on Thursday before the opening bell. After delivering a solid quarter last time, expectations are high, as benefits from automation and underwriting improvements should help to drive gains.
Celsius (NASDAQ:CELH) will be aiming to build on the 173% revenue surge last quarter when it releases earnings on Thursday after the market closes. Analysts expect a further 92.1% jump in revenue from the year prior, driven by the expanded partnership network.
Comfort Systems USA (NYSE:FIX) reports after hours on Thursday, with a high order backlog from last quarter likely to continue. The stock is beating the S&P 500 by 85% since the September 2025 Hidden Gems rec.

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6) Your Take

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