Market Resilience Amidst AI Volatility: S&P 500 and Dow Edge Higher as Tech Sector Rebalances

U.S. equity markets concluded a volatile session on Tuesday, February 17th, 2026, with major indexes managing to edge into positive territory despite significant intraday swings. The day’s performance was characterized by a "tug-of-war" between optimism over resilient financial sectors and growing anxieties regarding the long-term sustainability of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. While the broader market showed resilience, underlying sectors experienced sharp divergences as investors digested fresh i ...