Noor Trends News, Technical Analysis, Educational Tools and Recommendations

February, 2026

• 18 February 2026 5:37 pm

  U.S. Stock Futures Rise Ahead of Fed Minutes and Fresh Earnings

  

  U.S. stock index futures traded higher on Wednesday, as investors positioned themselves ahead of the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting and a new round of quarterly corporate earnings. At 05:15 ET (10:15 GMT), Dow Jones futures climbed 260 points, or 0.5%, S&P 500 futures advanced …

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• 18 February 2026 4:23 pm

  Lagarde May Exit ECB Early to Shape Succession Ahead of French Election, FT Reports

  

  European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is planning to step down from her role ahead of schedule, potentially before the end of her term in October 2027, in a move that would allow French President Emmanuel Macron to influence the selection of her successor, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. …

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• 18 February 2026 3:29 pm

  Fed Minutes in Focus as Policymakers Weigh Inflation Progress and Rate-Cut Timing

  

  Minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s January 16–17 policy meeting, due for release at 2:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, are expected to shed further light on why policymakers opted to keep interest rates unchanged last month and what conditions may be required to justify future rate cuts. At its January …

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• 18 February 2026 2:56 pm

  Bitcoin Extends Losses as U.S. Data, Fed Minutes Keep Risk Appetite Muted

  

  Bitcoin slipped further on Wednesday, extending recent losses as investors remained cautious ahead of key U.S. economic data and comments from the Federal Reserve, dampening appetite for speculative assets such as cryptocurrencies. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell nearly 1% to $67,746.6 by 01:19 ET (06:19 GMT), offering little reaction to …

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• 18 February 2026 1:56 pm

  Nvidia and Meta Rally on Strategic AI Infrastructure Partnership as AMD

  

  Shares of Nvidia and Meta Platforms moved higher in premarket trading on Wednesday after the companies announced a multiyear strategic partnership aimed at significantly expanding Meta’s artificial intelligence infrastructure using Nvidia’s advanced technologies. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) stock rose 1.6% in premarket trade, while Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) gained around 1%, …

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• 18 February 2026 1:23 pm

  European Stocks Advance as Earnings Impress and U.K. Inflation Cools

  

  European equity markets edged higher on Wednesday, supported by a steady stream of encouraging corporate earnings and fresh data showing a sharp slowdown in U.K. inflation, which reinforced expectations of an interest rate cut by the Bank of England. By 03:15 ET (08:15 GMT), Germany’s DAX rose 0.7%, France’s CAC …

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• 18 February 2026 11:32 am

  U.K. Inflation Drops Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for BoE Rate Cut

  

  U.K. inflation cooled more than expected in January, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of England could move to cut interest rates as early as its next policy meeting in March. Annual consumer price inflation slowed to 3.0% in January, down sharply from 3.4% in December. The December reading had marked …

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• 18 February 2026 10:42 am

  Oil Prices Steady in Asia as Progress in U.S.–Iran Talks Eases Supply Fears

  

  Oil prices were largely unchanged in Asian trading on Wednesday, stabilizing after sharp losses in the previous session, as signs of progress in U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations reduced concerns over potential supply disruptions and weighed on geopolitical risk premiums. As of 21:18 ET (01:18 GMT), Brent crude futures for April delivery …

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• 18 February 2026 1:30 am

  Bitcoin Adoption Expands as Market Faces Fresh Concerns

  

  Steak ‘n Shake has seen strong sales growth since it began accepting Bitcoin payments in May 2025. The company credits this momentum to combining its traditional fast-food operations with digital currency adoption. All Bitcoin collected at participating locations is added to a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, now totaling more than 161 …

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• 18 February 2026 1:03 am

  Explainer: OPEC Sticks to Oil Demand Outlook for 2026 and 2027

  

  The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has reaffirmed its outlook for global oil demand over the next two years, signaling confidence that consumption growth will remain solid despite economic uncertainty and energy transition pressures.In its latest monthly assessment, the group kept its forecast unchanged, projecting global oil demand to …

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• 18 February 2026 12:09 am

  Gold Plunges Over 3% as US-Iran Talks Boost Dollar Demand

  

  Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday, dropping more than 3% as the US dollar strengthened amid progress in talks between Washington and Tehran. At the time of writing, gold traded around $4,869 per ounce after briefly reaching $5,000.Dollar Strength Pressures GoldThe rise of the US dollar reduced demand for gold, …

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• 17 February 2026 11:04 pm

  Yen Holds Firm as Currency Markets Weigh Japan’s Policy Shift and U.S. Outlook

  

  The Japanese yen traded in a narrow range against the U.S. dollar as global currency markets returned to full activity after the long U.S. Presidents’ Day weekend. The dollar-yen pair hovered around the mid-153 level, reflecting a balance between renewed confidence in Japan’s economic direction and steady support for the …

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• 17 February 2026 10:36 pm

  Dow Slides as AI Fears Weigh on Tech Ahead of FOMC Minutes

  

  The Dow Jones Industrial on Tuesday as investors returned from the Presidents’ Day holiday. Technology shares continued to struggle, with concerns that AI tools could reduce demand for traditional software weighing on market sentiment. The S&P 500 declined roughly 0.5%, while the Nasdaq led losses, dropping about 0.8% as software …

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