Wall Street Rallied Ahead of Thanksgiving as Rate Cut Hopes Rose

February 14, 2026

Okay, here’s a breakdown of the key information and trends from the provided news snippets, categorized for clarity:

1. Macroeconomic & Interest Rate Outlook:

  • Increased Expectations of Fed Rate Cuts: There’s a significant rise in expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in December, driven by weaker retail sales data. The probability of a 0.25% rate cut is now over 80%.
  • Dollar Weakness: The US dollar is weakening, making gold more attractive to international buyers.

2. Tech Stock Performance & Company News:

  • Nvidia (NVDA): Nvidia is facing scrutiny over its “circular financing” scheme, drawing comparisons to tech scandals from the dot-com era. However, the company is defending its approach. They are seeing a surge in demand for their AI servers and have boosted their FY26 revenue forecast for AI server shipments to $25 billion.
  • Dell (DELL): Dell’s stock surged after it raised its FY26 revenue forecast significantly, citing strong demand for its AI servers. They are securing deals with major players in the AI space (DOE, G42, xAI, CoreWeave). Their PC business performed well, benefiting from the Windows 10 end-of-life upgrade cycle.
  • HP Inc. (HPQ): HPQ is reducing headcount (up to 6,000 jobs) and investing heavily in AI, but their business overall is struggling.

3. Sector Trends:

  • AI Server Demand: There’s a massive surge in demand for AI servers, particularly those powered by Nvidia’s chips. This is a key driver behind Dell’s strong outlook and Nvidia’s performance.
  • PC Market Recovery: HP’s PC business is picking up due to the Windows 10 end-of-life upgrade cycle.
  • Printing Segment Decline: HP’s printing segment continues to decline, a persistent challenge for the company.

4. Key Themes:

  • The AI Revolution: AI is clearly a dominant force shaping the tech landscape, driving investment, demand, and strategic shifts within major companies.
  • Interest Rate Cut Expectations: Weakening economic data is fueling expectations of a Fed rate cut, which is generally positive for gold and potentially for other growth stocks.
  • Supply chain and geopolitical factors are still influencing the markets.

In essence, the news points to a market riding a wave of AI excitement, with the Federal Reserve likely to respond with lower interest rates – a dynamic that’s heavily benefiting Nvidia and Dell.