ABC News·2026-02-18 21:57Market Performance - The U.S. stock market experienced a slight increase, primarily driven by Nvidia, which is a significant player in the market [1] - The S&P 500 rose by 0.6%, closing at 6,881.31, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 0.3% to 49,662.66, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.8% to 22,753.63 [2] - For the week, the S&P 500 has seen an increase of 0.7%, reflecting a rise of 45.14 points [2] Year-to-Date Performance - Year-to-date, the S&P 500 is up 0.5%, with an increase of 35.81 points [3] - The Dow has risen by 3.3%, amounting to an increase of 1,599.37 points [3] - The Nasdaq has decreased by 2.1%, down 488.36 points, while the Russell 2000 index has increased by 7.1%, up 176.70 points [3] Influential Factors - Nvidia's influence on the market was highlighted after Meta Platforms announced a deal to utilize millions of Nvidia's chips in AI data centers, contributing to the market's upward movement [1]