From Crisis to Comeback: How Dow Inc Became 2026's Unlikely Winner - 24/7 Wall St.[S&P 5006,828.20 -0.29%][Dow Jones49,368.00 -0.25%][Nasdaq 10024,652.80 -0.43%][Russell 20002,624.50 +0.33%][FTSE 10010,394.40 -0.39%][Nikkei 22557,200.50 +0.32%][Stock Market Live February 13, 2026: S&P 500 (SPY) Fighting to Go Green][Investing]# From Crisis to Comeback: How Dow Inc Became 2026's Unlikely Winner### Quick ReadDow (DOW) stock surged 40% year-to-date despite posting a $2.6B net loss in 2025.Dow's restructuring p ...

Core Insights - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) recently surpassed the 50,000 mark for the first time, indicating a strong bull market led by AI, although it experienced a subsequent decline [1] - Investors are shifting from high-growth AI stocks, referred to as the "Magnificent Seven," to value stocks that generate cash flow, amid concerns over capital expenditures (CapEx) [1] - Caterpillar, a significant component of the Dow, has seen a 33% year-to-date gain, contributing to the index's outperformance [1] Market Dynamics - The current market environment suggests a rotation away from AI disruptors and software companies towards more stable, cash-generating assets [1] - The Dow's relative strength is notable, as it has outperformed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100, indicating a potential shift in investment strategy [1] - Concerns over CapEx and the performance of major tech companies have led to a cooling off period for high-growth stocks, prompting investors to consider diversifying their portfolios [1] Company-Specific Insights - Moody's shares have declined over 23% recently due to fears that agentic AI could undermine its competitive advantages, despite its strong data moat and regulatory barriers that may protect its market position [1] - The article suggests that the recent drop in Moody's stock presents an opportunity for investors looking to capitalize on the broader bull market and AI-driven productivity gains [1] - Goldman Sachs has highlighted the potential benefits for old-economy stocks from AI adoption, indicating a broader market trend towards undervalued companies that can leverage AI technologies [1]

About this content About Stephen Gunnion Stephen Gunnion is a senior financial journalist and broadcaster at Proactive Investors. He has more than 25 years of experience in television, radio and print media, anchoring on a number of television channels including South Africa's Business Day TV, CNBC Africa and the South African Broadcasting Corporation, where he was the economics editor. He has also worked for Daily Maverick, Bloomberg, the Business Day newspaper and Investors' Chronicle. Read more About ...

Track DOW stock here.Chart created using Benzinga ProDow's Comeback: From Trough To Golden CrossThe stock has just printed a Golden Cross — the 50-day moving average rising above the 200-day — a classic signal that selling pressure is giving way to a new uptrend. This isn't a meme-style pop; it looks like a base that has held, healed, and now wants higher.Chart created using Benzinga ProGolden Cross = Trend Reset In DOW StockTechnically, the setup is clean. Price is now above the 20-, 50-, and 200-day avera ...

Group 1 - Dow Inc. is experiencing a bounce in its stock price, but it still relies on the return of Chinese buyers for sustained growth [1][3] - Jim Cramer suggests trimming positions in Dow Inc. rather than buying, indicating a cautious approach after a significant price run [1][3] - The company develops chemical and material products used across various industries, including packaging, construction, transportation, and consumer goods [3] Group 2 - There are other investment opportunities, particularly in AI stocks, that may offer greater upside potential and less downside risk compared to Dow Inc. [4]

Core Insights - The Dow Chemical Company has announced the revival of its Path2Zero petrochemical complex project in Alberta, Canada, with the first phase expected to commence operations by the end of 2029, a delay of approximately two years from the original plan, while the second phase is projected to be operational by the end of 2030, one year later than previously anticipated, which is earlier than analysts' pessimistic forecasts from last year [1][2] Group 1 - The project was previously put on hold in April 2025 due to a prolonged downturn in the global basic chemicals market, leading the company to reassess the market and cut $1 billion in capital expenditures, creating uncertainty around the project's future [1] - The resumption of the project injects confidence into Alberta's industrial investment environment, highlighting the strategic value recognized by Dow [1][2] Group 2 - Concurrently, Dow is undergoing a significant global restructuring, including the layoff of approximately 4,500 employees, yet it remains committed to the project, demonstrating confidence in low-emission petrochemical production and positioning Alberta as a core hub for future growth [2] - The project received final approval in November 2023 and is expected to double Dow's local ethylene and polyethylene production capacity, marking it as the world's first integrated net-zero ethylene cracking and derivatives complex [2]

The S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow), and Nasdaq Composite are all stock market indexes used to measure the performance of various aspects of the U.S. stock market. The indexes generally rise and fall together, however the extent of gains or losses produced by each can differ depending on market conditions and the state of the economy. The indexes differ in several key ways such as weighting methods, coverage, and criteria for including stocks. The S&P 500 assigns weightings based on market capit ...

Core Insights - The Dow Jones Industrial Average has reached a significant milestone by crossing 50,000 for the first time on February 6, 2026 [1] Group 1 - The achievement marks a historic moment for the 30-stock blue-chip index [1]

Group 1 - Major companies such as Amazon, UPS, and Dow Chemical have announced large-scale layoffs, with total job losses expected to exceed 52,000, adding uncertainty to the U.S. economy [2] - The layoffs are a necessary correction to the "overexpansion" during the pandemic, as companies adjust to a return to normal consumer behavior and a slowdown in online growth [2][3] - UPS's CFO stated that layoffs are directly related to a decrease in package volume for Amazon, indicating a need to adjust scale [2] Group 2 - Companies are strategically responding to the pressures of technological revolution, particularly through the adoption of AI to reduce labor costs [3] - There is a clear trend of reallocating resources from traditional roles to future-oriented technology sectors, as seen in companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nike [3] - The macroeconomic environment, characterized by high interest rates and trade policy uncertainties, is prompting companies to streamline operations and focus on high-margin core businesses [4] Group 3 - Despite the layoffs, the overall scale of job cuts is not unusually high compared to pre-pandemic levels, with the U.S. unemployment rate remaining relatively low at 4.4% [4] - Long-term unemployment is becoming a significant issue, with the average duration of unemployment extending to 24.4 weeks as of December 2025, compared to 19.4 weeks in 2022 [4] - The current layoffs reflect the U.S. economy's attempt to balance inflation control with growth, highlighting the need for companies to successfully navigate this transition and create competitive new jobs [4]

Group 1 - In January 2023, U.S. companies announced layoffs totaling 108,000, a year-on-year increase of 118%, marking the highest level for the same month since the severe economic recession in 2009 [2] - Major companies affected by the layoffs include Amazon, which plans to cut 16,000 jobs, and UPS, which announced layoffs of up to 30,000 employees [2] - The primary reasons for these layoffs include contract losses and poor economic conditions, indicating a lack of optimism among employers regarding the economic outlook for 2026 [2] Group 2 - A recent survey by the Pew Research Center indicates that 72% of Americans view the current economic situation as "fair" or "poor," with 38% fearing that the economic situation will worsen in the next year [3] - 52% of respondents believe that the current U.S. government's policies have led to a deterioration of the economic situation, and 60% disapprove of the government's tariff policies [3] - Commentary from German media suggests that the U.S. government's tariff policies are pushing the global economy towards recession, highlighting a perceived lack of capability to maintain prosperity and peace [3]