U.S. Stocks Mixed; China's Attractiveness Grows

On February 19, U.S. stock markets saw a modest rise, with the S&P 500 index up 0.24%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 0.16%, and the Nasdaq Composite up 0.07%. Meanwhile, renowned contrarian investor Anthony Bolton has suggested that the U.S. stock market is approaching its peak, making China a more attractive option for contrarian investments. With U.S. markets trading at high valuations, Bolton believes that the next bull market phase is emerging in China.

Based on the market performance, the Utilities, Healthcare, Consumer Staples, and Energy sectors outperformed the S&P 500. The Healthcare, Consumer Staples, and Energy sectors stood out with exceptional performance. Conversely, the Consumer Discretionary and Materials sectors moved in the opposite direction to the S&P 500.

In a day of mixed fortunes on the U.S. stock market, Jet.AI soared by a staggering 150%, marking a new era for the company. Editas Medicine also saw a significant rise of 83.91%, with increased trading volume indicating strong investor interest. Meanwhile, CNS Pharmaceuticals faced a challenging 41.19% drop, reflecting financial pressures including rapid cash burn and negative EBITDA. Nikola, the electric vehicle manufacturer, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, leading to a substantial 39.13% decline in its stock price.

Alibaba is reportedly interested in investing in DeepSeek, but the company has not officially responded to these claims. Meanwhile, Google has agreed to pay €3.26 billion to resolve a tax dispute with Italian authorities. This settlement covers penalties, fines, and interest for the period from 2015 to 2019. Elon Musk's social media company, X, is in talks to raise funds at a valuation of $44 billion, the same amount Musk paid to acquire the company in 2022. This fundraising effort comes after significant user and advertiser departures following Musk's acquisition and restructuring efforts.