Stock Market Today, Feb. 13: Inflation Data Steadies Market and Slows AI Disruption Losses

By Emma Newbery – Feb 13, 2026 at 5:27PM ESTSNPINDEX: ^GSPCS&P 500 IndexToday's Changeangle-down(0.05%) $3.41Current Price$6836.17Price as of February 13, 2026 at 4:49 PM ETPositive earnings pushed Applied Materials and Rivian Automotive higher as better-than-expected inflation data helped steady markets today, Feb. 13, 2026.The S&P 500 (^GSPC +0.05%) inched up 0.05% to 6,836.17 as cooler inflation data steadied sentiment.

The Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.22%) slipped 0.22% to 22,546.67, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI +0.10%) added 0.10% to 49,500.93. All three finished the week in the red, with the Nasdaq shedding 2.10% in the past five days. As we head into a long weekend with U.S. markets closed for Presidents’ Day on Monday, investors are trimming risks. Market moversSemiconductor manufacturer Applied Materials (AMAT +8.08%) surged following a positive Q1 earnings report and optimistic outlook. Electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive (RIVN +26.64%) soared 26.64% to close at $17.73 after earnings beat expectations.Coinbase (COIN +16.56%) was also among today’s top gainers after heavy losses yesterday. The stock increased 16.46% to $164.32 in spite of disappointing Q4 revenue as Bitcoin (BTC +4.59%) posted gains. In the Dow, defensive healthcare name Medtronic (MDT 1.38%) slipped ahead of next week’s earnings. What this means for investorsJanuary’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, released today, came in lower than expected. Inflation slowed to 2.4% while core inflation, which doesn’t include food and energy, rose by 2.5%. The news went some way to reassure investors and showed that housing inflation was cooling. AI replacement fears have dominated the markets this week. What started as a concern that automation could undermine software as a service (SaaS) stocks rapidly spread into other sectors. However, some analysts say the dramatic sell-off was an overreaction. At the very least, today’s CPI data slowed market losses.Read NextFeb 13, 2026 •By Bram BerkowitzThe Market Got Everything it Could Have Wanted From January's CPI and Jobs Reports, But the Devil is in the DetailsFeb 13, 2026 •By Adam SpataccoWill the Stock Market Crash in 2026? Here's What the Data Suggests Will Happen.Feb 13, 2026 •By Trevor JennewineWill the Stock Market Crash Under President Donald Trump in 2026?

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Should You Be Worried for 2026?About the AuthorEmma Newberry is a contributing Motley Fool cryptocurrency analyst covering digital currencies and blockchain trends. She previously wrote for Motley Fool Money (formerly The Ascent) on personal finance, investing, retirement readiness, and crypto. Earlier in her career, Emma founded an English-language newspaper in Colombia and contributed to Olympic city bid campaigns. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature with creative writing from the University of East Anglia in the UK.TMFemmanewberyStocks MentionedS&P 500 IndexSNPINDEX: ^GSPC$6836.17 (+0.05%) $+3.41NASDAQ Composite IndexNASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC$22546.67 (0.22%) $50.48Dow Jones Industrial AverageDJINDICES: ^DJI$49500.93 (+0.10%) $+48.95*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.