Stock Market Today: S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq Futures Jump Ahead Of January FOMC Minutes—Palo Alto Networks, Tactile Systems, DoorDash In Focus (UPDATED)
Original source ↗  |  February 18, 2026 at 09:38 UTC  |  Finnhub - DASH
Speakers
Benzinga

Summary

  • The broad market is optimistic ahead of the January FOMC minutes, with U.S. stock futures rising and markets pricing in a 92.1% chance of the Fed holding rates steady in March.
  • Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is a major focus, tumbling over 7% pre-market after cutting its full-year 2026 profit guidance to $3.65-$3.70 per share, which overshadowed a quarterly beat and raised revenue outlook.
  • Tactile Systems (TCMD) surged over 23% after issuing strong 2026 revenue guidance of $357 million to $365 million, demonstrating resilience despite potential Medicare challenges.
  • DoorDash (DASH) is trading flat ahead of its earnings report after the bell, with analysts expecting quarterly earnings of 59 cents per share on revenue of $3.99 billion.

=== MARKET IMPLICATIONS === - The significant negative reaction to PANW's profit guidance cut, despite a revenue outlook raise, indicates the market is highly sensitive to profitability and margin pressure in the high-valuation software sector. This could create headwinds for other cybersecurity and software-as-a-service (SaaS) stocks. - The market is rewarding company-specific positive catalysts, as seen in the sharp upward moves for TCMD (strong guidance) and Ovintiv (asset sale). This suggests that despite macro-level events like the FOMC minutes, fundamental execution and strategic actions are key drivers of individual stock performance. - The muted pre-market action in DASH suggests significant investor uncertainty heading into its earnings report. The results will be a key indicator for the health of the consumer and the gig economy sector. - Analyst Adam Turnquist's view that the recent software sell-off was "overly punitive" presents a contrarian viewpoint to the PANW news. While PANW is being punished, he suggests the broader sector may be oversold, creating potential opportunities for investors with a longer-term horizon who believe fundamentals remain supportive.