Episode 1271: Wednesday - February 18, 2026

Brian Szytel from Dividend Cafe provides a broad market update with all three major stock indices higher (Nasdaq up about 0.75%, S&P 500 up about 0.5%, and Dow up about 0.25%) while interest rates rose slightly, with the 10-year yield up three basis points. He reviews several economic releases, including January FOMC minutes that conveyed a more hawkish tone as inflation was described as slower to return to the 2% target, January industrial production that beat expectations (0.7% vs. 0.4%), and December durable goods orders that fell 1.4% but were better than consensus, with underlying measures stronger (excluding transportation up 0.9%, and core capital goods orders excluding defense and aircraft up about 0.67%, roughly double expectations). He notes housing starts and building permits were slightly better than expected but characterizes housing as still stuck due to interest rates, tax law changes, and reduced post-COVID mobility.

00:00 Market Snapshot: Stocks Up, Yields Higher

00:35 Key Economic Releases: Fed Minutes, Production & Durable Goods

01:41 Why Durable Goods Matter: Business Confidence & Capex Signals

02:40 Housing Starts & Permits: Still Stuck in a Range

03:10 Tariffs and GDP Explained: Net Exports, Double-Counting, and Reality

04:47 What’s Next This Week: PCE, GDP, PMIs & Consumer Sentiment

05:12 Wrap-Up: Broadly Positive Day + Q&A Invitation

Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com

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