Hi There! If February had a sound, it sure as he-double-hockey-sticks would not be a trumpet. It would be that leaden thrum in your chest when you wake up already tired, reach for the snooze button, and feel behind before your feet even touch the floor.

You haven't “given up” on your goals, but you have started negotiating with them. The workouts got pushed. The budget got fuzzy. The morning routine became “just get through today.” To top it off, your inner critic starts whispering that you had one job: start strong, stay consistent, prove you meant it this year.

Let me stop you right there, because I’ve been there.

The last week of February has always been the hardest for me. I used to think it meant I lacked discipline. Now I see it as a predictable collision of seasonal stressors and career pressure. Winter has been sitting on our backs for months, and the “new year energy” has worn off.

Late February is also prime time for mental looping, that exhausting pattern where you stay busy, but you cannot tell if you are being effective. You can be in motion all day and still feel stuck at night. Then, add the way disruptive technology nibbles at every spare minute, and suddenly your attention is shredded into tiny pieces. No wonder your goals feel slippery.

There is more time to do what brings you stillness, far away from the "mental loop" of someone else's agenda.

And look, if Punxsutawney Phil is up on Gobbler’s Knob calling for six more weeks of winter, we can at least admit the conditions are not ideal. Who puts their faith in a 140-year-old groundhog, anyway? Funny thing is, we can participate in that kind of silliness without shame. But we shame ourselves for being tired, which is actually logical and predictable this time of year.

The best reframe is to recognize that falling off is information. It is your body and your schedule telling you the plan you made in January did not account for the human you actually are in February. This week, you do not need a grand reset. You need micro-goals that will restore trust with yourself and put you back in execution mode.

As we close out Black History Month, remember, history leaves breadcrumbs. The people who built progress with limited access did it through steady, repeatable moves. Your job is not to do everything at once. Your job is to choose one honest next step.

U.S. stocks found their balance in a holiday shortened week as investors rotated back into risk after last week’s pullback. The mood improved on two big themes: the U.S. economy still looks steady, and the Supreme Court striking down President Trump’s sweeping global tariffs reduced one layer of policy uncertainty. At the same time, markets had to digest a more cautious macro backdrop, including hawkish takeaways from the latest Fed minutes, softer than expected GDP, and a rise in geopolitical tension tied to Iran. Internationally, Europe extended its strong start to 2026 on earnings and improving business activity, while Asia Pacific trading stayed quiet due to Lunar New Year closures.

U.S. Markets Recap (February 15, 2026 -February 21, 2026)

Equities:

Stocks advanced over the four day week as dip buyers stepped in, even with lingering concerns about whether massive AI spending will pay off. Growth disappointed with GDP at 1.4% annualized versus 2.8% expected, but sentiment improved late last week after the tariff ruling. E-commerce names tied to made-in-China goods got a boost, and Walmart beat on results but disappointed on guidance. NVIDIA and Meta announced a processor partnership.

Fixed Income:

Core bonds fell as Treasury yields rose. Investment grade issuance hit $346B year to date, more than 10% above last year’s pace. Credit spreads remain tight overall, but AI disruption is pressuring parts of high yield and bank loans, especially software and workflow exposed industries like insurance and brokerage. In high yield, the tech sector is down more than 1%, with spreads wider by nearly 110 bps, even as broader high yield spreads remain near record tights.

Commodities:

Energy led commodities higher. WTI crude rose well over 5% to six month highs on Middle East risk and a 9 million barrel crude draw last week. Silver also strengthened as markets waited for next tariff steps after the Supreme Court ruling.

Currencies:

The U.S. dollar strengthened 0.91% while the euro and pound weakened.

The Fed minutes leaned optimistic on growth, projecting above potential GDP through 2028, but flagged financial stability risks. They noted high valuations, tight credit spreads, and AI investment creating risk pockets, with special concern about hedge fund leverage and Treasury market vulnerabilities. The notes point to the next rate cut not likely until June.

Europe:

The STOXX 600 logged a fourth straight weekly gain on supportive data and well received earnings, with manufacturing driven business activity surprising to the upside. UK shares outperformed as rate cut expectations firmed and UK CPI cooled to 2.4% y/y.

Asia:

Lunar New Year closures thinned trading. Japan stayed near record highs as headline CPI fell below 2% y/y for the first time since March 2022, cooling BoJ hike bets. China hinted at post holiday stimulus support.

The ECCB will phase out EC$ notes featuring the British monarchy image starting 2027, replacing them with regional Caribbean figures, with possible unveiling in July 2026. In Jamaica, cooling inflation raised easing expectations ahead of the Feb 23 decision, and BOJ sold USD on Feb 20 to support FX orderliness. Regionally, the U.S. signed the IDB Capital Increase Act on Feb 18 to expand IDB Invest financing, while CIBC Caribbean continued rolling out digital onboarding for SMEs across multiple islands.

Crypto stabilized after a rough start to the year. Total market cap held around $2.3T to $2.34T with BTC $67K to $68.8K and ETH $1,950 to $2,000. Regulatory momentum built around the stalled CLARITY Act, with focus on a potential March 1 compromise and spring passage expectations.

Top crypto gainers (last week): STABLE, KITE, MORPH, INJ, WLFI

Here are other key highlights from last week

Key U.S. economic releases:

Fed Speakers (Mon thru Thurs):

Waller, Goolsbee, Bostic, Collins, Cook, Barkin, Schmid, Musalem, and Bowman

This is a very busy earnings week, Feb 23 to Feb 27. The main event is NVIDIA after the close on Wednesday.

Notable earnings releases are outlined in red below.

Wall Street loves abbreviations, and “BPS” is one of them. The good news is, it is simple. BPS stands for “basis points”. It is just a precise way to talk about small percentage changes, especially when the difference between 0.25% and 2.5% would be a costly misunderstanding.

When you hear “BPS” or “bips,” think: tiny percent moves, stated clearly.

A basis point equals 0.01%, or one one hundredth of one percent (1/100th of 1%).

Professionals use basis points because markets often move in small increments that still carry real impact, especially in interest rates, bond yields, and fund fees (expense ratios). It is clearer to say “rates rose 25 basis points” than to say “point two five percent,” which can be misheard or mistyped.

Signals that can raise concern

Signals that often look more normal

Basis points help you make better decisions in two places where investors often get squeezed: fees and rate headlines.

1) Protecting both a stock portfolio and a 401(k)

Picture an investor with:

Protect the 401(k) from fee drag.

If the target date fund costs 0.75% (75 BPS) but a similar low cost option costs 0.05% (5 BPS), that is a 70 BPS gap.

On $160,000, that gap costs about $1,120 per year (0.70% of $160,000). Every year. Before market returns even show up.

2) Use BPS to understand rate headlines and protect your expectations

Many 401(k) plans hold bond funds, target date funds, or stable value options. Those can react when interest rates change.

If you see “rates up 25 BPS,” you know it means rates rose 0.25%. Bond prices often move opposite interest rates, so bond heavy holdings can dip when rates rise. Stocks can wobble too as borrowing costs and valuations adjust.

The point is not to fear the move. The point is to understand it so you do not make emotional decisions.

Basis points are a simple measuring tool that helps you spot what matters: fees, rate changes, and risk signals that can affect your long term wealth. Once you can translate BPS, the market stops sounding like a foreign language and starts looking like numbers you can actually use to make more informed decisions.

Quick risk note: Markets can stay irrational longer than any of us expect. Manage position size, use stops when trading, and never risk money you cannot afford to lose.

Disclaimer: This newsletter is strictly educational. The information this report provides does not constitute investment, financial, trading, or any other advice. You should not treat any of the report’s content as such. Please be careful and do your research.