U.S. Stocks Rise After Cooling Inflation
On February 13, 2026, U.S. equity indexes climbed as January CPI showed a 0.2% month-over-month increase and a 2.4% year-over-year reading, the lowest since early 2024. Traders interpreted the muted inflation print as increasing odds of a Fed rate cut in Q2, while market attention also focused on an estimated $650 billion-plus in AI-related capex by Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta this year. The data buoyed growth-oriented and semiconductor-linked stocks mid-session.
Key Points
- 1Reports show January CPI rose 0.2% m/m and 2.4% y/y, lowest since early 2024
- 2Markets interpret muted inflation as increasing chances of Fed rate cuts in Q2 2026
- 3Expect growth stocks to rally and AI infrastructure beneficiaries like Nvidia to outperform
Scoring Rationale
Timely CPI data and major AI capex figures justify high impact; coverage offers market context but limited deep analysis.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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