Data-center power is outpacing compute as the bottleneck for AI expansion, prompting C2i Semiconductors (C2I) to integrate a plug-and-play, grid-to-GPU power platform to cut energy loss and improve economics. In a Series A led by Peak XV Partners, C2I raised $15 million, bringing total funding to $19 million.

BloombergNEF projects global data-center electricity use could nearly triple by 2035, and Goldman Sachs estimates power demand could rise 175% by 2030. C2i’s integrated power conversion and control platform targets 15%–20% efficiency gains in high-voltage-to-GPU power conversion, cutting end-to-end losses by about 10% and reducing cooling and GPU utilization costs.

C2I, founded in 2024 by former Texas Instruments executives, expects first silicon designs by June 2026, with validation by data-center operators and hyperscalers. Peak XV Managing Director Rajan Anandan highlights energy costs as the dominant ongoing expense for data centers, making C2I’s 10%–30% efficiency gains highly valuable.

The merger of state-owned Power Finance Corp (PFC) and REC Ltd is expected to inject significant liquidity into India’s power sector and broader credit market by combining about 5.5 trillion rupees ($61 billion) in outstanding bonds, according to analysts. This move is designed to help funds navigate 10% exposure limits on a single AAA issuer and lift lending ceilings for large, complex power projects that have previously faced credit constraints.

As of December 2025, PFC had loan assets of 5.7 trillion rupees, and REC had 5.8 trillion rupees. PFC’s board gave in-principle approval on February 16, 2026. Money managers may adjust holdings to comply with new limits, following precedents set by similar mergers, such as HDFC Bank’s 2023 consolidation.

The transaction is seen as a key step toward meeting India’s 2047 development goals by supporting grid upgrades and clean energy growth, with the potential to drive demand for alternative AAA-rated papers and help keep yields lower for other high-quality borrowers.

Gold edged lower on profit-taking after a mild U.S. inflation print lifted prices above $5,000 an ounce. The U.S. consumer price index rose 0.2% in January, supporting expectations the Federal Reserve may trim rates, which typically benefit non-yielding gold. Spot gold fell 0.3% to $5,026.96 as of February 15, 2026, 7:40 a.m. (Singapore time). Silver dropped 1.1% to $76.54 an ounce. Platinum and palladium also declined. The Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index rose 0.1%. Geopolitical risks and a flight from Treasuries remain key drivers cited by banks and miners for potential higher prices despite the pullback.

U.S. markets closed on February 16, 2026, for Presidents’ Day, resuming on February 17. Prior to the holiday, risk-off sentiment emerged as tech shares led declines, with the Nasdaq posting a 0.22% loss and the broader indices recording their largest one-week drop since November 2024. The session saw the “Magnificent Seven” ETF down 1.1%, Apple (AAPL) fall 2.3% to $255.78, NVIDIA (NVDA) down 2.2% to $182.81, and Meta (META) and Alphabet (GOOGL) down 1.5% and 1.1%, respectively.

This week’s focus shifts to whether AI capital expenditures will translate into revenue and profit growth. Amazon (AMZN), Google, Meta, and Microsoft (MSFT) are collectively investing about $650 billion in AI infrastructure this year, with many viewing 2026 as the “verification year.” If the promised returns materialize slowly,估值 pressure could rise. Sell pressure spread to Cisco (CSCO), where memory cost increases may narrow gross margins, and Apple’s single-day drop of 5% erased roughly $2 trillion in market value. Concerns over legal AI tools from Anthropic heightened worries about disruption across software and related sectors.

Regulatory risks escalated as the FTC expanded its probe of Microsoft’s AI tools, cybersecurity, and identity products for bundling practices. Meanwhile, Microsoft, along with Ericsson, Amazon, and Google, formed the Trusted Tech Alliance to emphasize digital sovereignty and usage norms. Looking ahead, the week will center on the Federal Open Market Committee’s January 27–28 meeting minutes, with the stance and措辞 likely to drive tech-stock valuations. NVIDIA is scheduled for a results call on February 25, with attention on AI chip demand and outlook. If the minutes signal a hawkish stance or if companies report cost pressures and demand weakness, Treasuries’ yield could rise, continuing to weigh on high-valuation tech stocks.

Hong Kong's stock exchange may remain in a neutral trading state through early March amid continued volatility and regulatory uncertainty, according to a report released by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority on February 16, 2026. The decision follows a significant 12.3% drop in the Hang Seng Index in the week ended February 10, 2026, and reflects efforts to stabilize markets amid heightened geopolitical and macroeconomic risks. The HKEX has been closely monitoring the situation and is prepared to adjust its policies as needed to ensure market integrity and investor confidence.

Blackstone Private Equity and co-investors including Teachers’ Venture Growth, TVS Capital, 360 ONE Assets, and Nexus Venture Partners have agreed to invest up to $600 million in primary equity in Neysa (NEYS), giving Blackstone a majority stake. Neysa plans an additional $600 million in debt financing to expand GPU capacity, sharply increasing from its prior $50 million raised.

Neysa, a Mumbai-based provider of GPU-first AI infrastructure for enterprises, government agencies, and AI developers in India, currently has about 1,200 GPUs live and plans to scale to over 20,000. The investment comes as India’s AI compute demand is expected to grow from fewer than 60,000 GPUs to over two million, driven by government contracts, local data residency needs, and AI model training within the country.

“We are seeing a demand that we will more than triple our capacity next year,” said Neysa co-founder and CEO Sharad Sanghi. “The bulk of the new capital will be used to deploy large-scale GPU clusters, with a smaller portion allocated to R&D and software platforms for orchestration, observability, and security.”

The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLSE: KLCI) opened slightly higher on February 16, 2026, with gains of 0.3%, reflecting cautious optimism despite broader global market volatility. The index closed at 1,652.50, up 4.85 points from the previous session's close of 1,647.65. Volume traded at 18.7 million shares, down 15% from the previous session, indicating mixed investor sentiment. The banking and property sectors led the gains, while industrials and utilities posted declines. The steady start contrasts with a broader regional context of inflationary pressures and a softening economic outlook.

The Singapore Exchange (SGX) is expected to open with a soft start on February 16, 2026, amid heightened volatility in Asia-Pacific markets. Pre-market volume is forecasted to be significantly lower than average as traders adjust portfolios ahead of a key earnings season in the region. The soft open follows a week of mixed global sentiment, with geopolitical tensions and central bank policy decisions influencing regional equity indices. Investors should monitor the impact of these external factors on SGX-listed multinationals and local issuers.

DRAM shortages are intensifying, with prices surging 75% in the last month and scrambling supply chains. Tech leaders including Tesla (TSLA-US), Apple (AAPL-US), and AMD (GOOGL-US) warn production is being throttled as AI datacenters spike demand for memory chips. NVIDIA’s GPUs, requiring high-capacity memory, are driving allocation struggles, while Alphabet (GOOGL-US) and Amazon (AMZN-US) plan record $1.85T and $2.0T capital expenditures.

The strain is rippling across products, with Sony considering a PlayStation 6 release in 2028 and Nintendo weighing a price hike. Notebook and smartphone makers are shortening supplier review cycles and cutting 2026 output, including OPPO potentially downscaling by 20%. Cisco (CSCO-US) and Qualcomm (QCOM-US) report softer margins, while ARM (ARM-US) warns of further headwinds.

Counterpoint Research estimatesDRAM’s cost share in low-end phones could reach 30% by year-end. Analysts say the industry is entering an AI-driven super-cycle that may end the traditional boom-bust rhythm, favoring early investors with deep capital and strategic positioning.

Markets are extending lower amid rising volatility, wider spreads, and rising correlations as liquidity-driven selling unwinds. The key driver is not investor fear but the exhaustion of forced sellers.

Over the next 4–6 weeks, earnings events, debt maturities, and catalysts such as spinoffs/refinancings will reset capital flows. Price often stops declining after supply exhaustion is evident on lighter volume, relative strength improvement, and stabilization in short interest.

Tactical entries should focus on balance-sheet-resilient businesses with staggered maturities and catalyst windows within the next 60 days. Accumulate as exhaustion patterns develop, not during free-fall declines.

If earnings confirm durable cash flow and key support holds on lighter volume, selective accumulation in special situations is warranted. If refinancing closes and leverage concerns fade, equity repricing can be sharp. Separation-driven structural alpha often emerges when management incentives realign with shareholder value.

Warner Bros Exploration Co (WBD-US) is considering re-opening discussions to sell the company following Paramount Global's Skydance-modified hostile tender, which seeks to upgrade terms and potentially trigger a second bidding round with Netflix. The board has not yet finalized a strategy, with a legally binding agreement still in place with Netflix.

Paramount's revised terms include a $2.8B payment to the board if it终止s the Netflix agreement, debt financing guarantees, and a shareholder compensation plan if the deal is not completed by Dec 31. The board is weighing how the terms might pressure Netflix to increase its offer beyond $27.75 per share.

Paramount is pursuing a $30 per share tender and has actively lobbied regulators and shareholders. Netflix remains open to further bidding, but its stock has fallen over 40% since June, adding pressure. The board must first notify Netflix of any re-opening, and if Paramount's revised proposal is seen as materially superior, Netflix retains its right to respond with a higher offer. Approximately 42.3 million shares are currently tendered, or less than 2% of the float.

The IRS is rolling out the 1099-DA for 2026 tax season, reporting only proceeds from qualifying crypto transactions, not the cost basis. Taxpayers must provide their own cost basis to avoid capital gains taxes based on the full sale amount; failure to do so may result in the IRS defaulting the cost to $0 and taxing the entire gain.

Crypto exchanges including Coinbase (COIN) and Robinhood (HOOD) are expected to send the forms by Feb 17, 2026. The form is part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and aims to standardize reporting, potentially generating about $28B in revenue over a decade.

Missing or fragmented cost basis data, especially when assets move between wallets and exchanges, complicates accurate reporting. Taxpayers are advised to maintain records, use platforms that can provide basic cost basis, or consult tax professionals to avoid overpayment and reduce audit risk.

Morgan Stanley upgrades global cloud capital expenditures to $7.35 trillion for 2026, a 60% year-over-year increase, upping the prior-quarter forecast by 22 percentage points and about $1.2 trillion. The acceleration follows strong guidance from Alphabet (GOOGL-US), Amazon (AMZN-US), and Meta (META-US), with AI-driven data center expansion and token processing growth driving the uptick.

The firm projects 11 major cloud providers will spend $7.95 trillion in 2026, above market consensus by about 8%. For the year, the revised total rises to $1.2 trillion from $710 billion, adding $500 billion and reaching roughly 26% of total revenue—about three times the 2014–2023 average.

Meta forecasts 2026 capex of $1.15T–$1.35T (73% YoY), Google $1.75T–$1.85T (97% YoY), with 60% allocated to servers and 40% to data centers and networking. Amazon expects $2.00T at 52% YoY, emphasizing rapid conversion of new capacity to revenue. Microsoft maintains a strong server focus despite a seasonally lighter third-quarter spend.

Trucking spot rates, inclusive of fuel, average $2.80 per mile nationally (up 23% Y/Y; SONAR: STRI.USA), while tender rejections hover near 14%, the highest since 2022. In contrast, domestic intermodal spot rates (excluding fuel) stand at $1.39 per mile, down 5% from $1.48 per mile a year ago.

The divergence reflects tight trucking capacity driven by carrier exits, driver regulation changes, winter weather, and returning demand in the Rust Belt. As truckload pricing tightens and contract renewals approach, intermodal providers face upward pricing pressure. While intermodal’s structural long-haul economics remain, its pricing advantage is narrowing.

Expect intermodal spot discounts to decline and potential double-digit contract increases for trucking by late 2026. Shippers should prepare for renewed rate negotiations and closer monitoring of SONAR indices (NTI.USA, INTRM.USA) and tender rejection trends.

Total debt in delinquency rose to 4.8% in Q4 2025, the highest since 2017, as mortgage and student loan transitions into default increased, according to the New York Fed. Auto, credit card, and home equity delinquency rates remained roughly stable. The increase reflects the resumption of reporting under pandemic forbearance, not a systemic crisis.

While delinquency metrics have trended worse from pre-pandemic highs, the risk remains limited: seriously delinquent debt-to-income is about 2.5%, near 2019 levels and nowhere near 2009-2010 peaks. Household debt-service payments as a share of disposable income, though rising over time, remain strong.

This lens underscores that "better or worse" is relative; consider "good or bad" alongside it. For example, inflation is improving but remains above the Fed’s target; job creation has slowed but remains positive; retail sales growth has slowed but remains record high.

<para>As of 4:00 PM Sunday, February 15, 2026, Nikkei 225 Yen futures trade at 500 yen. Estimated trading volume for the session: 34,204 contracts, matching Thursday's volume. Open interest stands at 68,338 contracts, down 29,757 contracts from the previous day.</para>

<para>Measured in yen, the futures contract reflects investors' sentiment and speculative activity in Japan's benchmark equity index. The decline in open interest suggests reduced bearish or bullish positioning as the session closed.</para>

Meta and OpenAI have made formal acquisition offers for OpenClaw (CLAW), the self-modifying AI agent platform developed by Peter Steinberger, according to a recent interview. OpenClaw hit 180,000 GitHub stars in record time and has drawn interest from major tech leaders, including a WhatsApp outreach from Mark Zuckerberg and a proposal from Sam Altman tied to Cerebras computational power.

Steinberger has insisted any corporate buyout must preserve the open-source model, stating he routes all sponsorships to dependencies and currently spends $10,000–$20,000 monthly to defend the project. He faced a sophisticated cyber-attack after a rebrand to combat trademark issues with Anthropic, involving malware, hijacked NPM packages, and spam, which nearly led to project deletion.

Steinberger, who practices "agentic engineering," predicts agent platforms like OpenClaw will render many traditional applications obsolete by acting as proactive, personalized interfaces. He is weighing a standalone venture despite concerns about distraction, but remains focused on the project's open-source future.

The freight trucking industry is witnessing a multi-pronged realignment as traditional indicators suggest the prolonged bear phase is ending. The SONAR National Truckload Index (NTI) is at $2.80 per mile, up from the low $2.00s of 2023 and signaling upward momentum. The Outbound Tender Volume Index (OTVI) is near 10,110, below its historical average of 11,731, but volume collapse has stopped. The Outbound Tender Rejection Index (OTRI) rose to 13.40%, indicating carriers are shifting from contract to spot markets as options improve.

Capacity is contracting as the Carrier Details Net Changes in Trucking Authorities (CDNCA) show net exits exceeding entries, with more carriers leaving than entering. TRAC data reflects broader rate strength across lanes, with a blue shade indicating more lanes showing upward momentum than decline.

Historically, breakout conditions align when rates stabilize and rise, demand stops falling, and capacity tightens. These three factors are currently converging, suggesting a potential early stage of a market tightening. However, macroeconomic weakness, fuel volatility, and sectorial operational vulnerabilities mean a dip or delay is possible in the next 60–120 days. Investors and operators should remain cautious but monitor the data closely as the next phase of the market cycle may begin.

By February 12, 2026, the New York Fed reported that 94% of import duties from President Trump’s 2025 tariffs fell on U.S. consumers and businesses through August 2025, with the pass-through rate dropping to 86% by November. The tariffs added about 0.7 percentage points to U.S. inflation through late 2025, pushing up household furnishings, bedding, and dish prices.

The study challenges Trump’s assertion that the burden fell on foreign producers. In a representative example, when exporters did not lower prices, the full tax burden passed through to U.S. importers. While exporters cut prices somewhat and importers absorbed portions, roughly 20% of the tariff burden reached final consumers.

The Tax Foundation estimated an average $1,000 per household in 2025 and $1,300 in 2026, making the tariffs the largest U.S. tax increase since 1993.

India now exceeds 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making it OpenAI’s second-largest market behind the United States, CEO Sam Altman said in an article published Sunday in the Times of India ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, running Monday–Friday, February 15–19, 2026.

As of October 2025, ChatGPT reached 800 million weekly active users and is approaching 900 million. OpenAI opened a New Delhi office in August 2025, rolled out a sub-$5 Go tier, and later offered free access for a year in India. Altman attributed India’s strong adoption to a young population and a billion internet users, with students driving growth.

Altman noted India has the largest number of student users globally and warned uneven access could limit AI’s economic benefits. He said OpenAI will announce new partnerships in the coming weeks to expand AI access and practical use in India.