US Markets Recover Slightly, AI Concerns Remain
US stocks closed Tuesday (February 17th) with slight gains after a volatile session, during which major indexes briefly dipped into the red before rebounding. The day's trading was a "search for direction" period following the Presidents' Day holiday, with investors assessing sentiment and awaiting the next catalyst.
At the close, the S&P 500 rose 0.1% to 6,845.68 after initially falling as much as 0.9%. The Nasdaq Composite also gained 0.1% to 22,578.38, recovering an intraday decline that had reached 1.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also ended up 0.1% to 49,533.19, confirming a recovery, albeit a bumpy one.
Intraday movements were extreme: the opening was mixed, then the market quickly dropped to session lows, before rebounding around midday. After some ups and downs and a bit of back-and-forth, the major indices finally closed the day in positive territory—a slight gain, but enough to ease the pressure.
The main focus remains the same: concerns about AI's disruption to the technology sector and related industries. After a losing week, the market is still weighing the impact of the emergence of new AI models on the competitive landscape—who will benefit, who will be eroded—and another big question: whether massive spending on AI infrastructure will truly yield commensurate profits for tech giants.
Essentially, the narrative on AI is shifting from a "magical future" to a more realistic implementation phase—full of winners and losers, new risks, and unpredictable changes. And as long as this uncertainty remains unanswered through earnings or economic data, volatility like Tuesday's has the potential to remain a staple on Wall Street.
Source: Newsmaker.id
