Iran has partially closed the Strait of Hormuz during Revolutionary Guard drills under security precautions, according to state media. About 13 million bpd—roughly 31% of global seaborne crude—transit the passage, based on Kpler data, while the IEA's Monday report projects a 3.73 million bpd global oil surplus in 2026.

Spain moved to request a formal probe into X, Meta and TikTok, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez saying on Tuesday the cabinet will invoke Article 8 to examine alleged AI-enabled child sexual abuse material. The step aligns with wider EU scrutiny, including a 120 million euro fine against X in December and new investigations underway in France, Britain and Ireland.

On February 17, 2026, European stock benchmarks climbed, with STOXX600 at 619.45 (+0.15%) and broad gains across the FTSE 100, DAX, CAC 40, SMI, IBEX 35, and PSI20. According to UK labor data, unemployment rose to 5.2%, pushing GBP/USD to 1.359 and helping lower gilt and euro‑area yields, while EU figures showed 0.3% Q4 2025 growth.

On February 16, 2026, European equities ended higher, with the STOXX Europe 600 up 0.14% to 618.56, even as Pinewood Technologies plunged nearly one-third after Apax withdrew its £575 million bid. NatWest rose 4.7% on a £750 million buyback, while mining stocks such as Rio Tinto and BHP edged lower.

Amazon shares have declined for nine consecutive trading days, matching a streak that ended in July 2006, and are down 18%, erasing about $463 billion in market value. Investors are reacting to the company's plan to spend $200 billion this year on AI infrastructure, outlined on the Feb. 5 earnings call, as February losses approach about 17%.

Mercedes reported a 57% drop in 2025 earnings before interest and taxes, heavily impacted by about $1.2 billion in tariff expenses and weaker performance in China. Revenue declined 9.2% to €132.2 billion, while net profit fell 48.8% to €5.3 billion and free cash flow from the industrial business dropped to €5.4 billion. The cars division saw double‑digit declines in revenue and profit, but vans and financial services remained profitable, and the company outlined cost‑cutting and product launch plans through 2027.

SoftBank recorded a quarterly profit of ¥248.6 billion, coming in under the ¥336.7 billion market expectation and reflecting uneven performance across its business lines. For the April–December period, net income jumped to ¥3.17 trillion, largely supported by a ¥3.6 trillion rebound in Vision Fund gains and sizeable investment profits. Over 2025, SoftBank committed $40 billion to OpenAI through its Vision Fund structure while simultaneously selling major stakes in T-Mobile and Nvidia and announcing multi‑billion‑dollar deals in DigitalBridge and ABB’s robotics unit to deepen its AI and ASI exposure.

Cisco shares fell more than 10% in after-hours trading after the company topped quarterly estimates but issued guidance that only aligned with projections. The company reported $1.04 in adjusted EPS on $15.35 billion in revenue and forecast $1.02–$1.04 EPS with $15.4–$15.6 billion in sales, while noting $2.1 billion in AI infrastructure orders.

In January, the U.S. budget deficit fell to $95 billion, narrowing by $34 billion from the same month a year earlier as receipts grew faster than outlays. Revenues rose 9% to $560 billion while spending increased 2% to $655 billion, with a sharp jump in customs duties and a temporary drop in interest payments helping contain the gap. For the fiscal year starting October 1, the cumulative deficit reached $697 billion as total revenue hit $1.785 trillion and expenditure climbed to $2.482 trillion.