ChatGPT picks 2 stocks to buy during the February tech sell-off

Core Viewpoint - The February 2026 tech sell-off has significantly impacted major companies like Microsoft and Advanced Micro Devices, with Microsoft experiencing a notable $360 billion drop in market value following its earnings report, primarily due to concerns over its exposure to OpenAI [1][12]. Group 1: Market Overview - The tech sector downturn began in late January 2026, characterized as a cyclical correction without systemic risk to the industry or market according to ChatGPT [2]. - Despite the downturn, recent earnings reports have generally shown strong business results, indicating that the performance of technology stocks varies by niche, suggesting no major crash has occurred [3]. Group 2: Stock Recommendations - ChatGPT recommended Apple (AAPL) as a buy, citing its stable business model in hardware and services, strong consumer demand, and a robust balance sheet as factors supporting its resilience [4][5]. - Apple shares are down 4% year-to-date but have gained 5.35% in the last 30 days, reinforcing the notion that the recent crash has not affected all stocks uniformly [8]. - Microsoft (MSFT) is also recommended despite a 17.39% year-to-date decline, as its leadership in cloud services and AI, along with its relationship with OpenAI, positions it as a solid investment [12][15]. - ChatGPT views Microsoft's current valuation as a discount, supporting its classification as a 'blue chip defensive growth play in tech' [17].