Feb 19 (Reuters) - Meta reduced its annual distribution of stock options by about 5% for most of its ‌staff, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg ploughs billions of dollars ‌into its artificial intelligence goals, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The Facebook ​parent declined to comment. Meta and other Big Tech companies are competing to outbuild each other with massive data centers to get ahead in Silicon Valley's heated AI race. The social media company said ‌in January that it ⁠expected capital expendi ...

Core Insights - Meta has reduced its annual distribution of stock options by approximately 5% for most of its staff as CEO Mark Zuckerberg reallocates funds towards artificial intelligence development [1] Company Actions - The decision to cut stock options is part of a broader strategy to invest billions of dollars into building out artificial intelligence capabilities [1]

市场消息：大多数Meta员工的股权奖励将减少5%。 来源：滚动播报 ...

Core Viewpoint - U.S. equity markets faced volatility as resilient labor market data contrasted with a cautious outlook from Walmart, leading to concerns over consumer spending and geopolitical tensions impacting risk appetite [1]. Major Market Indexes Performance Recap - Major benchmarks ended in negative territory, with the S&P 500 declining 0.28% to 6,861.89, the Nasdaq Composite slipping 0.31% to 22,682.73, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 267 points, or 0.54%, to close at 49,395.16 [2]. Small-Cap vs. Large-Cap Performance - The small-cap Russell 2000 managed a late-day recovery, finishing up 0.25%, indicating that smaller domestic-focused firms found support despite headwinds faced by larger retail and tech companies [3]. Economic Data Insights - Initial jobless claims fell to 206,000, significantly lower than the projected 223,000, marking the lowest level since early January, complicating the Federal Reserve's interest rate cut path [4]. - The U.S. trade deficit unexpectedly widened to -$70.3 billion in December, exceeding the forecasted -$56 billion, while the Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index rose to 16.3 in February from 12.6 the previous month, indicating strength in the industrial sector [5]. Corporate News and Stock Movements - Walmart reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings and revenue but saw its stock fall 1.4% due to a disappointing profit forecast, overshadowing a $30 billion share buyback announcement [6]. - Deere & Company shares surged 11.6% after reporting higher-than-expected quarterly profits and raising full-year net income guidance to $4.5 billion to $5.0 billion [7]. - Etsy's stock increased by 21.2% following a significant earnings beat, while Booking Holdings dropped 7.1% amid competition concerns [8]. - Other notable stock movements included Occidental Petroleum rising 9.4%, Blue Owl Capital falling 5.9%, Robinhood Markets tumbling 11.3%, and Nvidia edging higher due to a partnership with Meta Platforms [8]. Upcoming Market Events - Investors are focused on upcoming corporate reports from Newmont Corp. and Consolidated Edison, as well as monitoring Live Nation Entertainment, Texas Roadhouse, and Sprouts Farmers Market for insights into consumer spending [9]. - Nvidia's earnings report is highly anticipated on February 25th, with geopolitical developments in Iran supporting oil prices, which rose 2.6% to $66.71 per barrel [10].

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article emphasizes the current market position and future outlook of Meta Platforms Inc., highlighting its strategic initiatives and financial performance [1] Group 2 - Meta Platforms Inc. has shown significant growth in user engagement, with daily active users increasing by 10% year-over-year [1] - The company's revenue for the last quarter reached $32 billion, reflecting a 15% increase compared to the previous year [1] - Meta's investment in augmented reality and virtual reality technologies is expected to drive future growth, positioning the company as a leader in the metaverse space [1]

Lee Jackson: I think there could be. Wall Street is usually a day late and a dollar short. There has already been a big rotation out of tech. The Magnificent Seven basically led the stock market for three years in a row, and there were double-digit gains on the S&P and the Nasdaq three years straight. It has been stellar. Technology always has driven the stock market since the early 1990s, even though the names that lead it change.Doug McIntyre: If you read the notes, everyone knew what they were going to s ...

Kurt, There's so many directions we want to go here. I mean, there are some out there who are comparing this to what happened with tobacco company executives on the stand. You know, when when we were kids and the way that that changed that the the public health view of cigarettes and the way that that has looked back on historically, what's at stake here.Yeah. I mean, this is to your point, sort of in the same general vein as those those cigarettes, tobacco industry trials, opioid industry trials like this ...

Meta's $115 Billion AI Bet Puts NVIDIA at the Center of a Multi-Year Spending Cycle - 24/7 Wall St.[S&P 5006,861.40 -0.28%][Dow Jones49,416.60 -0.48%][Nasdaq 10024,796.80 -0.36%][Russell 20002,653.43 -0.18%][FTSE 10010,647.20 -0.59%][Nikkei 22556,995.50 -0.96%][Stock Market Live February 19, 2026: S&P 500 (SPY) Slips on Walmart Outlook][Investing]# Meta's $115 Billion AI Bet Puts NVIDIA at the Center of a Multi-Year Spending Cycle### Quick ReadNvidia (NVDA) secured a multi-year AI infrastructure deal with M ...

Market Overview - U.S. equity markets are experiencing volatility due to disappointing corporate guidance, geopolitical tensions, and mixed economic data affecting interest rate outlooks [1][3] - Major indexes have softened after a strong performance led by technology gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 121 points (0.24%) to 49,542, S&P 500 down 13 points (0.19%) to 6,868, and Nasdaq Composite down 43 points (0.18%) to 22,712 [2] Economic Data - The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index rose to 16.3 in February, significantly above the consensus estimate of 7.7, indicating continued expansion in regional manufacturing [4] - Initial jobless claims fell more than expected, highlighting the strength of the U.S. labor market [4] - Federal Reserve officials remain cautious about cutting interest rates too soon, with some suggesting potential rate hikes if inflation persists [5] Corporate News - Walmart reported better-than-expected quarterly earnings but issued a cautious profit forecast for 2026, leading to a more than 3% drop in shares [6] - Nvidia is in focus due to a partnership with Meta Platforms for AI chips, although its stock has moderated ahead of its earnings report [7] - Robinhood Markets shares fell 11% after revenue missed forecasts and high expense outlooks were provided [8] - Moderna's stock rose 6% following FDA review news for its flu vaccine candidate [8] - Exxon Mobil shares increased by 2.9% as crude oil prices rose amid geopolitical tensions [8] - Carvana's stock plummeted over 20% after reporting significant profitability loss in Q4 [8] - Smurfit Westrock shares surged 12% after an encouraging five-year financial forecast despite an earnings miss [8] Upcoming Events - Investors are monitoring "Fedspeak" from officials for monetary policy clues, with a primary focus on the upcoming PCE inflation data [9] - Geopolitical developments in the Middle East are influencing oil prices and the global inflation outlook [9]

Core Viewpoint - Meta is shutting down its standalone Messenger website, redirecting users to Facebook for messaging starting April 2026 [1][2] Group 1: Service Changes - The Messenger website will no longer be available, and users will be redirected to facebook.com/messages for messaging on a computer [1] - Users without a Facebook account can only continue conversations on the Messenger mobile app [1] - Users can restore chat history using a PIN created during backup [1] Group 2: Historical Context - Messenger was launched as "Facebook Chat" in 2008 and became a standalone app in 2011 [4] - In 2014, Facebook removed messaging from its main app to promote Messenger, but began merging Messenger back into the Facebook app in 2023 [4] Group 3: User Reactions - Users have expressed frustration on social media about relying on the Facebook website for Messenger chats, particularly those who have deactivated their Facebook accounts [3] - The decision to shut down various Messenger platforms is seen as a cost-reduction strategy for Meta [3]