Almost all S&P 500 sectors are up, with the sole exception being staples (-0.38%) and energy (-0.22%). The market is lifted this morning by strides from tech (+0.94%), financials (+0.85%), and health care (+0.66%). Here’s the index at last glance:

President Donald Trump’s nearly two hour performance at last night’s State of the Union address spoke directly to a shaken, but still-standing Republican base. But did it win over America or the markets?

“Our country is winning so much,” Trump said, adding that, “we really don’t know what to do about it.”

America might not know what to do about that statement, either. Largely left out of stock market gains and the creep of higher prices, the electorate that put the President in power has been turning their cheek up at Republicans in a key midterm year.

Many Congressional Republicans might have looked at the SOTU to be the opportunity to seize on disillusionment with the Republican supermajority; it was an opportunity to renew promises to the American people. Instead, pundits make the case that it was more of a “feel good” event touting the administration’s success in lowering prices, passing a new tax legislation, and pushing for even more tax cuts despite significant budget shortcomings.

Perhaps the President’s performance will compensate for an increasingly jittery Republican party, which has seen scores of Congerssional retirement announcements over the last year amid questions of what their fate might look like in November.

A new report from Bank of America sees gold returning to all-time highs… and continuing to $6,000/oz on macroeconomic uncertainty. The bank also sees silver having the potential to mount a rally to $100.

One of those will be easier than the other: continuous contracts in gold (+0.45% to $5,196.60) and silver (+3.01% to $90.14) are still well below these levels after a biblical bull run for the metals in January.

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Good morning. For many, it’s midweek. But for Wall Street, we might as well call it a week after today. After the market close today, chip giant Nvidia will provide its latest insights on the AI boom, joined by AI aspirant Salesforce and software company Synopsys. Here is what is trending this morning:

This morning, WTI Crude Oil climbed above $66, even despite news that OPEC+ might weigh a sizable production increase. Crude has been on an upward trajectory for several weeks, rising on the backs of Venezuelan production, greater inventories, and talk of a possible military intervention in Iran.

In business theatrics, Warner Bros. Discovery said yesterday afternoon that a new deal from Paramount Skydance was better than the offer made by presumptive buyer Netflix, with the Ellison-backed media giant offering $31/share for the firm’s far-reaching catalog. This will likely motivate Netflix to upsize its own offer as well.

This morning’s earnings are already coming across the wire, anchored by HSBC, the largest report of the day. It’s up 5.4% in the premarket after its revenue jumped and pre-tax profits fell in 2025. Its wealth division was a large component of that win, helping the U.K.’s FTSE 100 hit a new high.

After Home Depot’s better-than-expected results yesterday, competitor Lowe’s also bested street expectations, but it’s down 3% in the premarket on talk of “ongoing uncertainty” in the sector.

The same goes for apparel retailer TJX Companies, which is down less than one percent after beating fourth quarter estimates, a sign that retail firms are holding up despite a mixed economic environment.

Here is the full slate of earnings from this morning, plus their stock returns yesterday:

Here is what to expect on the data side today:

This story was originally published by TheStreet on Feb 25, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest Business & Market News section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.