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Palo Alto Today
By the People, for the People
Nvidia Leads Stock Market Higher
Meta Platforms' AI partnership with Nvidia boosts the chipmaker's stock and the broader market.
Published on Feb. 23, 2026
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The U.S. stock market rose on Wednesday, led by a 1.6% gain in Nvidia's stock. This came after Meta Platforms announced a long-term partnership where it will use millions of Nvidia's chips and other equipment for its artificial intelligence data centers. Nvidia's performance as the most valuable company on Wall Street helped pull the S&P 500 higher, demonstrating the upside of AI development. However, investors have also focused on the potential downsides, such as the high costs companies are spending on AI and the threat of AI disrupting various industries.
Why it matters
Nvidia's position as the most influential stock on Wall Street means its performance can have an outsized impact on the broader market. The company's partnership with Meta Platforms highlights the growing importance of AI technology, but also raises concerns about the risks and costs associated with AI development.
The details
The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, led by a 1.6% gain in Nvidia's stock after Meta Platforms announced a long-term partnership to use Nvidia's chips and equipment for its AI data centers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said "No one deploys AI at Meta's scale." However, investors have also been focused on the potential downsides of AI, such as the high costs companies are spending and the threat of AI disrupting various industries like software, legal services, and trucking logistics.
- The stock market ticked higher on Wednesday, February 18, 2026.
The players
Nvidia
An American multinational technology company that designs graphics processing units (GPUs) for the gaming and professional markets, as well as system on a chip units (SoCs) for the mobile computing and automotive market.
Meta Platforms
An American multinational technology conglomerate that owns social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Jensen Huang
The co-founder and CEO of Nvidia.
Cadence Design Systems
An American electronic design automation software and engineering services company that provides tools used to design and develop integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, systems on a chip, and embedded systems.
Anirudh Devgan
The CEO of Cadence Design Systems.
What they’re saying
“No one deploys AI at Meta's scale.”
— Jensen Huang, CEO, Nvidia (latimes.com)
“the essential nature of Cadence's engineering software”
— Anirudh Devgan, CEO, Cadence Design Systems (latimes.com)
The takeaway
Nvidia's performance as the most influential stock on Wall Street demonstrates the upside of AI development, but also highlights the growing concerns about the high costs and potential disruption that AI technology can bring to various industries.
