Stock Markets February 23, 2026

Stocks Swing as American Express and Oracle Lead Decliners; Eli Lilly Gains on Device Approval

Mega-caps to small-caps see wide moves as corporate news and deal activity drive sharp intraday swings

By Avery Klein AXP ORCL PLTR NFLX
Stocks Swing as American Express and Oracle Lead Decliners; Eli Lilly Gains on Device Approval
AXP ORCL PLTR NFLX

Major U.S. stocks moved sharply on Monday, with financial and technology names among the largest decliners and select health and biotech names posting notable gains. American Express and Oracle were among the biggest falls in the mega-cap cohort, while Eli Lilly rose after regulatory clearance for a new multi-dose injection device. Deal activity drove extreme upside in at least one mid-cap, and several small-cap companies moved dramatically on trial results, leadership changes and acquisition agreements.

Key Points

  • Financial and technology mega-caps were among the largest decliners, notably American Express and Oracle, affecting the financials and tech sectors.
  • Healthcare and biotech firms recorded some of the biggest gains driven by regulatory approval, acquisition agreements and reported sales growth, impacting healthcare and biotech sectors.
  • M&A announcements and clinical trial results led to sharp, company-specific moves across mid- and small-cap stocks, demonstrating elevated event-driven volatility.

U.S. equities experienced a range of pronounced intraday moves on Monday, driven by earnings-related updates, regulatory news, deal announcements and executive changes. The market action spanned large, medium and small capitalization stocks, with declines concentrated among several financial and technology giants and outsized gains appearing in targeted healthcare and acquisition-focused issues.


Mega-cap movers (Market Cap: $200 billion USD or higher)

  • American Express (AXP) -6.43%
  • Oracle Corp (ORCL) -4.26%
  • Palantir Technologies Inc (PLTR) -4.4%
  • Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) -3.12% - Paramount expected to bid $32 per share for Warner Bros. Discovery
  • Mastercard Cl A (MA) -3.75%
  • JP Morgan Chase (JPM) -3.42%
  • Morgan Stanley (MS) -3.49%
  • Citigroup (C) -3.84%
  • Wells Fargo (WFC) -3.33% - Wells Fargo names Dennis Devine as head of Business Banking
  • Eli Lilly And Co (LLY) +3.46% - Lilly gains FDA approval for Zepbound multi-dose KwikPen device

Large-cap movers (Market Cap: $10-$200 billion USD)

  • Crowdstrike Holdings Inc (CRWD) -8.97%
  • Gap.inc (GAP) -9.25%
  • Applovin (APP) -8.68%
  • MongoDB (MDB) -8.66%
  • Expedia (EXPE) -7.02%
  • Packaging Corp (PKG) -7.33%
  • Doordash Inc (DASH) -6.01%
  • Intl Paper Co (IP) -5.96%
  • Figma Inc (FIG) -7.93%
  • Moderna (MRNA) +2.91%

Mid-cap movers (Market Cap: $2-$10 billion USD)

  • Arcellx (ACLX) +77.74% - Gilead to acquire Arcellx for $7.8 billion in cash deal
  • Tenable Holdings Inc (TENB) -9.69%
  • Kaiser Aluminum C (KALU) -8.15%
  • Stepstone Group Inc (STEP) -11.26%
  • Grail (GRAL) -11.49%
  • Klaviyo (KVYO) -9.56%
  • Legend Biotech Corp (LEGN) +10.38%
  • Viking Therapeutics Inc (VKTX) +10.41%
  • Tidewater Inc. (TDW) +6.52%
  • NantKwest (IBRX) +14.71% - ImmunityBio reports $113M in ANKTIVA sales, up 700% in 2025

Small-cap movers (Market Cap: $300 million - $2 billion USD)

  • Gossamer Bio Inc (GOSS) -80.75% - Gossamer Bio’s seralutinib misses primary endpoint in PAH trial
  • Stepan Comp (SCL) -17.95% - Stepan stock edges up after Q4 earnings, revenue miss
  • WeShop Holdings Ltd (WSHP) -24.52%
  • Foley Trasimene Acquisition (ALIT) -10.45%
  • Starfighters Space (FJET) -11.7% - Starfighters Space founder Rick Svetkoff steps down as CEO
  • Vanda Pharmaceuticals (VNDA) +47.2%
  • Enhabit (EHAB) +22.59% - Enhabit agrees to $1.1 billion sale to Kinderhook Industries
  • Mack-Cali Realty Corp (VRE) +12.1% - Veris Residential agrees to $3.4 billion buyout at $19 per share
  • Agencia Comercial Spirits Ltd (AGCC) +11.01%
  • MapLight Therapeutics Inc (MPLT) +7.44%

These moves reflect a mixture of corporate developments, including regulatory approvals, acquisitions and trial outcomes, which are producing rapid repricing across market caps. Financials and large-cap technology names were notable decliners on the day, while targeted healthcare and acquisition-related stocks registered the largest gains. The breadth of activity extended from mega-caps down to micro- and small-cap issues, illustrating how company-specific news can dominate intraday performance.

Key points

  • Financial and technology mega-caps led declines, with American Express and Oracle among the largest losers - impacting the broader financials and tech sectors.
  • Healthcare-related stories drove some of the strongest gains, including Eli Lilly on device approval and several biotech and life sciences firms amid M&A and sales updates - affecting healthcare and biotech sectors.
  • Acquisition announcements produced extreme positive moves in some mid- and small-cap names, while clinical trial setbacks caused steep sell-offs in others - relevant to investors tracking M&A and clinical development risk.

Risks and uncertainties

  • Clinical trial outcomes can create abrupt and large price moves in biotech and small-cap healthcare stocks, as seen with Gossamer Bio - a risk for investors in the biotech sector.
  • M&A activity and acquisition terms can sharply revalue mid-cap companies, introducing deal execution and regulatory uncertainties for target and acquirer sectors.
  • Broad declines among major banks and technology names highlight sensitivity to firm-specific announcements, which may amplify volatility in financials and tech sectors.

Note: This article reports market moves and associated company announcements as observed on Monday. It records price changes and corporate developments listed above without making forecasts or additional claims.

Risks

  • Unexpected clinical trial failures can result in abrupt, severe share price declines for biotech companies - a significant risk for the healthcare sector.
  • M&A announcements carry execution and regulatory uncertainty that can materially reprice mid-cap targets and acquirers - affecting deal-related sectors.
  • Concentrated declines among large banks and tech firms indicate vulnerability to company-level news, which can increase volatility in financials and technology sectors.

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