Stock Markets February 17, 2026

Premarket movers: Palo Alto, General Mills, Medtronic dip as Norwegian Cruise Line, Masimo surge

U.S. futures slide as investors parse corporate reports and deal-related headlines ahead of market open

By Caleb Monroe PANW GIS NCLH MASI
Premarket movers: Palo Alto, General Mills, Medtronic dip as Norwegian Cruise Line, Masimo surge
PANW GIS NCLH MASI

U.S. stock futures edged lower as market participants returned from the holiday and absorbed a fresh batch of corporate updates. Notable premarket movers included declines at Palo Alto Networks, General Mills and Medtronic, while Norwegian Cruise Line and Masimo posted sharp gains amid activist stake reports and takeover chatter.

Key Points

  • Corporate earnings and guidance updates drove several premarket stock moves, notably at Palo Alto Networks and General Mills.
  • Deal-related headlines and activist activity propelled big swings in specific names, including Norwegian Cruise Line and Masimo.
  • Movements spanned multiple sectors: cybersecurity, packaged foods, travel, medical devices, media, semiconductors and e-commerce.

U.S. stock futures moved modestly lower on Tuesday as investors returned from a holiday and began parsing a new round of corporate reports and market-moving headlines.

Below are the most significant moves in the premarket session and the company-specific developments behind them:

  • Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) - The cybersecurity specialist saw its shares slip 0.8% in premarket trading ahead of the release of its latest quarterly results after the close. The company had previously raised its full-year revenue and profit guidance in November, attributing that upgrade to a surge in demand for its digital security products aimed at countering online threats.

  • General Mills (NYSE:GIS) - Shares of the packaged foods maker dropped 3.4% after the firm reduced its full-year core net sales and profit outlooks, citing softer consumer sentiment. The company now anticipates annual sales to fall between 1.5% and 2%, versus the prior range of down 1% to up 1%.

  • Norwegian Cruise Line (NYSE:NCLH) - The cruise operator rallied 7.5% after a report that activist investor Elliott has accumulated a stake exceeding 10% in the company.

  • Masimo (NASDAQ:MASI) - The medical device maker jumped 34% following a Financial Times report that Danaher (NYSE:DHR) is nearing a deal worth nearly $10 billion to acquire the company.

  • Medtronic (NYSE:MDT) - Shares fell 3.7% after the medical device company reported a third-quarter profit decline, which the company said was mainly due to higher expenses.

  • Warner Bros Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) - Stock rose 2.9% after the company rejected Paramount Skydance’s (NASDAQ:PSKY) latest hostile bid of $30 a share, while giving Paramount Skydance seven days to present an improved offer.

  • Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) - The chipmaker slipped 0.8% even as it said a London lawsuit alleging abuse of its market position to extract inflated royalties from Apple and Samsung would be withdrawn.

  • Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP) - The e-commerce platform’s shares inched up 0.1% after Truist Securities upgraded its rating to buy from hold, arguing that a broad software selloff tied to AI concerns has created a favorable long-term entry point.

These premarket moves reflect a mix of earnings-related updates, shifts in investor sentiment and deal-related reporting. With several companies slated to report results after the bell, markets will be watching how guidance and expense trends influence near-term expectations.


Impacted sectors include cybersecurity, consumer packaged goods, travel and leisure, medical devices, media and entertainment, semiconductors and e-commerce.

Risks

  • Earnings and guidance surprises could widen volatility in affected sectors, particularly for firms reporting results after the close - impacts the cybersecurity and medical devices sectors.
  • Uncertainty around reported deal activity and activist stakes may create short-term share-price swings, notably for companies in travel and life sciences.
  • Weaker consumer sentiment cited by General Mills implies demand risk in packaged foods, which can affect sales and margin expectations.

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