Legal uncertainty keeps tariffs in the risk mix, even when markets feel calm. Capital markets, taxes, and your financial planFebruary 25, 2026 In the fall, shoppers helped propel the fastest quarterly U.S. economic growth in two years, federal government data in December showed. To be sure, the stock market has climbed in recent weeks, despite some turmoil. The performance marked the latest move in topsy-turvy markets — and that rollercoaster may very well continue, some analysts told ABC News. If you’re not sure which investments are right for you, please request advice, for example from our financial advisers.

The plugins, released on Jan. 30, allow customers to adapt the tool for narrow sectors like legal, finance or data marketing. Such factors could keep stock prices on edge, they said, before noting the difficulty of predicting short-term stock performance. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF rose again on Tuesday, as traders continued to buy the steep selloff in software stocks. If you decide to invest, read our important investment Poultry World: Fish silage for broilers notes first and remember that investments can go up and down in value, so you could get back less than you put in.

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• These AI agents, including new offerings like Anthropic’s legal assistant, have heightened fears that existing business models could be disrupted faster than incumbents can adapt.
• Oracle, for example, is down 52% from its all-time high.
• Despite recent volatility, we remain constructive on the economic cycle and confident in our call for investors to double down on diversification this year.
• A straightforward initial explanation for why stock market news tends to be negative is that journalists often prioritise negative events (e.g. Harcup and O’Neill 2001, 2017, Soroka 2006, Garz 2014).
• That combination has helped support risk appetite, even as unresolved policy and economic questions still shape daily market moves.
• It is not intended to provide specific investment advice and should not be construed as an offering of securities or recommendation to invest.

In this episode, Emma Wall and Matt Britzman unpack a busy week for markets and what it means for investors. I think the AI industry poses less risk because some of the worst-case scenarios are already priced into individual stocks. According to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas, many businesses said economic conditions, a loss of contracts, and restructurings triggered the layoffs, while some even said they were closing down entirely.

These AI agents, including new offerings like Anthropic’s legal assistant, have heightened fears that existing business models could be disrupted faster than incumbents can adapt. Taken together, in our view, these drivers suggest the North American economy remains well‑supported, with the potential for above‑trend growth in the U.S. that can help lift revenues across a broader set of sectors. An index is unmanaged, cannot be invested into directly and is not meant to depict an actual investment. The graph shows that “old economy” sectors like transports, chemicals and oil & gas are taking the lead as investors rotate away from software companies. In our view, this dynamic suggests that market action reflects rotation and repricing, rather than broad deterioration in underlying fundamentals. Avanti Feeds shares gain over 4% after positive Q3 results across parameters

While concerning to investors, corrections are a normal part of market cycles because markets do not move in a straight line, and price “resets” often occur after strong gains or shifting expectations. Recent inflation data underscores why markets continue to debate “soft landing” versus renewed price pressure. AI-related leadership remains an important engine for performance, with information technology and communication services stocks reasserting strength after a slower start to 2025.

How do interest rate changes affect market corrections?

Rising economic and political uncertainty is starting to make stock market investors jittery. On around 30% of trading days, this segment reports the daily performance of Germany’s DAX stock index. Together, these factors give rise to a big news bias in stock market reporting that helps explain why news coverage tends to be negative. A straightforward initial explanation for why stock market news tends to be negative is that journalists often prioritise negative events (e.g. Harcup and O’Neill 2001, 2017, Soroka 2006, Garz 2014). Power your decisions with expert analysis of the stock market, options, and global finance trends.FINANCIAL TOOLSAccess powerful financial tools like advanced charts, technical analysis, and currency converters.

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If you are unsure about the suitability of an investment you should speak to one of Fidelity’s advisers or an authorised financial adviser of your choice. Parham, R and R Kaniel (2016), “Media attention and investment decisions”, VoxEU.org, 6 March. Media consumers should be aware of the big news bias and that it affects even the most trusted media.

Given the media’s natural tendency to focus on out-of-the-ordinary events, the big news bias in media reporting is difficult to avoid. Rosling et al. (2018) hypothesise a similar pattern for several indicators of economic development. Ordoñez (2013) documents stronger changes in macroeconomic variables during recessions than recoveries. Unlike other forms of media bias, the big news bias does not stem from cognitive heuristics or a conscious decision to slant the news toward a particular perspective. The restricted model explains about half the total negativity bias in the nightly news. The DAX rose at an annualised rate of 7% between 2017 and 2024 — an average gain of four points per trading day.

S&P futures had traded on either side of unchanged overnight and were moving modestly lower ahead of the first of this week’s major economic data points. We set the standard with our unparalleled trading platform, enabling entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors to raise the capital they need to change the world. Nasdaq’s Investment Intelligence unit is focused on enabling economic growth through access to capital and transparency. Engage with, participate in, and build your own modern markets. Celebrating performance, trust and teamwork on the track and across the financial system.