New York, Feb 15, 2026, 15:06 EST — The session wrapped up and markets are now closed.
- IBM picked up 1.1% to close at $262.38 on Friday, capping off a choppy week for tech stocks.
- With U.S. markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day, trading won’t resume until Tuesday.
- With inflation data coming in softer, investors are now turning their attention to the U.S. data pipeline and the Federal Reserve minutes.
IBM (IBM.N) finished Friday’s session up 1.1% at $262.38, ahead of the Presidents Day market closure. Shares moved in a $256.88 to $264.62 range, with around 6.8 million shares traded.
The New York Stock Exchange will be shut Monday in observance of Washington’s Birthday, according to its holiday calendar. Regular trading resumes Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The pause is having an effect. Traders are ramping up rate-cut wagers once more, while tech stocks have been volatile, buffeted by speculation over AI rivals and the mounting price tag of expanding computing power.
The S&P 500 eked out a modest gain on Friday, but the Nasdaq slipped, weighed down by declines in major tech and communications stocks. Odds for a 0.25 percentage point rate cut in June ticked up to 52.3%, according to the CME FedWatch tool. One strategist called out “large cap tech stocks continue to be an anchor.” Reuters
Consumer prices ticked up 0.2% last month, with the core CPI—excluding food and energy—moving up 0.3%, according to Reuters. “Price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort,” said James McCann, senior economist in investment strategy at Edward Jones. Reuters
IBM managed to edge out several other megacaps this day. Microsoft lost 0.1%, Alphabet dropped around 1%. IBM, which just broke out of a four-day losing run, still trades about 19% under its 52-week peak, according to MarketWatch data.
When trading picks back up, it’s a packed slate. Investopedia points out a string of data and events crammed into the holiday-shortened stretch: Tuesday brings the Empire State manufacturing numbers; Wednesday follows with housing starts and minutes from the Fed’s January meeting. A December PCE inflation reading and the first look at Q4 GDP drop later in the week.
Even so, that stream of data could just as easily work against IBM. If growth comes in stronger or inflation runs hotter, yields usually jump. That puts the squeeze on tech valuations, including the established, cash-generating players like IBM, as investors rethink how long rates might stay elevated.
Macro headlines have overshadowed company updates lately, but IBM’s previous earnings release still lingers. Back on Jan. 28, IBM delivered quarterly revenue and profit above expectations, lifted by customers ramping up spending on AI-driven software, according to Reuters. The company also projected revenue growth topping 5% for 2026.
IBM’s investor-relations calendar has April 22 marked as the early date for its first-quarter results.
For now, IBM’s fate rides on how it performs once trading resumes Tuesday after the holiday, plus whatever hints the Fed minutes drop about rate direction on Wednesday.
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