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Stock Markets February 18, 2026

Market Movers Wednesday: Micron and Palantir Lead Gains as Telecom and Consumer Names Slip

A broad cross-section of large- and small-cap stocks swung on analyst actions, earnings beats, guidance and corporate moves

By Leila Farooq MU PLTR XOM AMAT
Market Movers Wednesday: Micron and Palantir Lead Gains as Telecom and Consumer Names Slip
MU PLTR XOM AMAT

Stocks across market caps experienced notable intraday moves Wednesday. Memory chipmaker Micron and data analytics firm Palantir were among the larger gainers, while carriers and consumer staples names retreated. Movers ranged from mega-caps to small-caps and reflected analyst rating changes, quarterly results, M&A and corporate developments.

Key Points

  • Winners and losers spanned mega-cap, large-cap, mid-cap and small-cap stocks, driven by analyst actions, earnings and corporate announcements.
  • Semiconductors and software names, including Micron and Palantir, posted notable gains, while telecom and consumer staples names such as At&t and Procter & Gamble saw declines.
  • M&A activity, regulatory approvals and corporate board changes also influenced moves, particularly among mid- and large-cap companies.

Trading Wednesday produced pronounced shifts for a wide variety of equities, with winners and losers appearing at each market-cap level. Several names rallied on analyst upgrades, earnings beats or strategic announcements, while other stocks fell after downgrades, soft guidance or sector-specific pressures.

Below are the principal stock movers of the session, organized by market-cap grouping and accompanied by the key catalysts cited by market participants.

Mega-Cap Movers (Market Cap: $200B+)

  • Micron Technology (MU) +5.87%
  • Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR) +2.99% - Mizuho upgraded the stock following a valuation pullback
  • Exxon Mobil (XOM) +2.93%
  • Applied Materials Inc (AMAT) +2.61%
  • Morgan Stanley (MS) +2.64%
  • Metropcs Communications (TMUS) -2.68%
  • At&t (T) -2.35%
  • AbbVie Inc (ABBV) -2.4%
  • Procter & Gamble (PG) -2.08% - Erste Group upgraded the stock to buy
  • Goldman Sachs Group (GS) +1.89%

Large-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $10B-$200B)

  • Global Payments (GPN) +16.28% - appointed a former Albertsons CEO to its board of directors
  • Garmin Ltd (GRMN) +9.95% - shares jumped nearly 12% after a stronger-than-expected fourth quarter
  • Cadence Design System Inc (CDNS) +9.02% - Rosenblatt upgraded the stock after a Q4 beat
  • Shopify Inc (SHOP) +8.92%
  • Bloom Energy Corp (BE) +7.98%
  • Kratos Defense & (KTOS) +8.09% - UBS initiated coverage at neutral citing valuation concerns
  • Venture Global Inc (VG) +8.21%
  • Applovin (APP) +7.54%
  • Vector Acquisition (RKLB) +7.31%
  • HollyFrontier (DINO) -11.2% - HF Sinclair beat estimates as refining margins surged in the fourth quarter

Mid-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $2B-$10B)

  • NantKwest (IBRX) +32.14% - European Commission authorized ImmunityBio’s ANKTIVA for bladder cancer
  • Mudrick Capital A (HYMC) +28.13% - Hycroft reported 55% growth in gold and silver resources
  • Liberty Global Inc (LBTYA) +18.46% - Liberty Global to acquire Vodafone’s 50% stake in VodafoneZiggo
  • GlobalE Online (GLBE) +14.85% - shares rose as Q4 results exceeded expectations
  • Evolution Metals Tech (EMAT) +13.81% - Clear Street initiated coverage with a buy rating citing growth outlook
  • The Madison Squar (MSGS) +13.71%
  • Caesars Entertainment Corp (CZR) +12.51% - digital segment delivered a record quarter
  • Axcelis Tech (ACLS) -17.56% - shares tumbled after soft guidance overshadowed a Q4 beat
  • Veeco Instruments (VECO) -15.18%

Small-Cap Stock Movers (Market Cap: $300M-$2B)

  • SimilarWeb (SMWB) -41.03% - downgraded by Citizens following weak Q4 results
  • Starfighters Space (FJET) +28.85%
  • Tactile Systems Technology Inc (TCMD) +21.07% - Tactile Medical acquired LymphaTech for $6.8 million
  • Sabre Corpo (SABR) +18.45%
  • The Wendys Co (WEN) +17.5%
  • Mister Car Wash (MCW) +16.39% - Leonard Green to take Mister Car Wash private in a $3.1 billion deal
  • Donnelley Financial Solutions Inc (DFIN) +15.47%
  • Orion Engineered Carbons SARL (OEC) +13.59%
  • Mesa Air Group Inc (RJET) +15.33%

The day’s activity underscores how a mix of analyst actions, company-specific results, strategic transactions and regulatory decisions can move prices across market-cap segments. From semiconductor and software rallies to pressure in wireless carriers and household names, the session offered a varied picture of market sentiment.

Investors monitoring these names should note the interplay of catalysts cited above - upgrades and initiations by banks and brokerages, quarterly results that beat or missed expectations, announced acquisitions and regulatory approvals - all of which contributed to the pronounced intraday swings observed Wednesday.

Risks

  • Analyst rating changes and initiations can rapidly alter sentiment and share prices, as evidenced by upgrades and neutral starts cited for several stocks - impacting sectors such as software, payments and defense.
  • Earnings beats can be offset by weak guidance, producing sharp selloffs as seen with companies that reported strong quarters but gave disappointing outlooks - a risk for semiconductor and equipment suppliers.
  • Large corporate transactions and regulatory actions introduce integration and execution uncertainty that can add volatility to telecom, media and industrial stocks.

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