U.S. equity markets experienced a volatile session on Thursday, February 19th, 2026, as investors weighed surprisingly resilient labor market data against a cautious full-year outlook from the world’s largest retailer. Despite a significant beat in weekly jobless claims, the major indexes struggled to maintain early momentum, ultimately drifting lower as concerns over consumer spending and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East dampened risk appetite.Major Market Indexes Performance RecapThe major benchma ...