On 18 February 2026, an arbitration tribunal rejected claims by Czech energy group ČEZ seeking compensation from Bulgaria for alleged damage to its local operations. The company had sought damages running into the hundreds of millions of euros, but the tribunal concluded it was not entitled to payment. Arbitrators said ČEZ’s arguments were serious and merited consideration, yet found that Bulgaria’s conduct did not rise to the level required to award compensation. The ruling therefore dismissed the company’s financial claims. The decision closes this chapter of the dispute over ČEZ’s Bulgarian assets and operations; no award was made to the Czech firm. #CEZ #Bulgaria #Arbitration #FiatNews

David Craver of Lone Pine Capital told a Goldman Sachs YouTube interview that “white spaces” are opening up across markets and that artificial intelligence is a strong bullish force for equities. He framed AI as a “super-bull” factor shaping investment opportunities going forward. #LonePineCapital #GoldmanSachs #AI Craver also reflected on market structure, saying that when he began investing stocks were far less volatile and reacted more directly to fundamental data: “When I started investing, stocks were much less volatile and more responsive to fundamental information.” The comments highlight Lone Pine’s view that changing drivers—especially technological adoption—are creating fresh pockets of opportunity for investors. #FiatNews

Apple’s relative reluctance to join the heavy investment race into artificial intelligence has driven a noticeable decoupling from its technology peers, leaving the company less correlated with the Nasdaq, market observers say. That detachment has positioned Apple as an unexpected, and for some investors an attractive, alternative amid recent market turbulence. #AAPL #Nasdaq #AI Analysts note Apple’s limited exposure to the large-scale AI spending that has fueled outsized moves across the tech sector; as a result, the stock has not been pulled into the high volatility affecting much of the market in recent weeks. The piece frames this as a defensive quality rather than an active strategy to chase AI leadership. For investors seeking lower short-term volatility in a choppy market, Apple’s status outside the intense AI investment cycle may make it a portfolio diversifier. The report emphasizes the firm’s current appeal stems from its relative stability and divergence from the broader tech trade. #FiatNews

German agrochemical giant Bayer has asked a court to approve a proposed settlement of long‑running disputes over its Roundup herbicide, offering $7.25 billion to resolve the cases. The company said it has also increased its budget for related legal expenses as it seeks judicial sign‑off on the deal filed on 18 February 2026. If approved, the $7.25 billion agreement would be intended to resolve the outstanding litigation tied to Roundup. Bayer’s filing now puts the outcome in the hands of the court, which will decide whether to accept the terms. The proposal follows years of litigation over the herbicide; Bayer’s request for court approval and the boost to legal spending mark the latest developments in the company’s efforts to conclude the disputes. #Bayer #Roundup #Legal #FiatNews

European stocks have regained momentum and, cautiously, technology shares are beginning to tick up as well. On the whole this year European equity markets are outperforming their U.S. counterparts, while headline index moves remain modest rather than dramatic. The recent improvement has extended across several sectors, with tech showing early signs of recovery. The main divergence lies in the technology sector: historically a primary driver of U.S. market gains, technology has been a drag this cycle as investor doubts grew and positions were reweighted. That dynamic has left U.S. indices under pressure even as parts of the market advance. Market participants view the modest rebound in tech as tentative and reflective of portfolio adjustments rather than a broad-based surge. Observers note the current environment is one of selective gains and cautious positioning as investors reassess exposure to growth-sensitive names. #EuropeanEquities #USMarkets #Technology #Stocks #FiatNews

On 18 February 2026, the CEO of Mistral AI stated that "AI can replace more than half of enterprise software," asserting a sweeping potential impact of artificial intelligence on corporate applications. The comment highlights the accelerating debate over how generative and automation technologies will reshape business software suites. The remark comes amid a multi‑week sell‑off in software stocks, which has stoked investor concerns that a number of companies could see revenues and business models materially disrupted by AI adoption. Market participants are reassessing valuations as the sector faces pressure from expectations of rapid technological change. Investors and industry observers will likely watch product road maps, adoption rates and vendors’ ability to integrate AI capabilities as indicators of which firms can adapt. #AI #MistralAI #EnterpriseSoftware #TechStocks #FiatNews

18 February 2026 — The European Union is reviving a major single‑market reform: the proposed “28th regime,” a voluntary, uniform European legal framework companies could choose instead of the current patchwork of 27 national rulebooks. The plan is presented as one of the boldest modernisation steps for the single market after years of debate. Under the proposal, businesses would opt into a single set of EU-wide rules for cross‑border activity, replacing the need to comply with different national regimes. The regime would be voluntary rather than mandatory, allowing firms to decide whether to operate under national law or the EU option. Supporters say the move aims to reduce legal fragmentation and lower barriers to cross‑border commerce across the bloc. The initiative follows long‑standing calls to simplify trade and regulatory compliance within the #EU single market. #SingleMarket #FiatNews

#Berkshire Hathaway significantly adjusted the composition of its investment portfolio, executing notable repositioning across holdings. The changes reflect active portfolio management by the conglomerate’s investment team amid shifting market conditions. #BerkshireHathaway #investing #FiatNews

#Bayer has proposed a settlement of more than $7 billion to resolve litigation related to its Roundup herbicide, aiming to address a large portion of pending claims tied to alleged health effects. The proposal seeks to reduce ongoing legal exposure. #Bayer #Roundup #FiatNews

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde may leave the ECB before the end of her term, according to reports. A premature departure would prompt discussions on leadership succession and potential implications for policy continuity at the central bank. #ECB #Lagarde #FiatNews

#Apple is accelerating development of new wearable AI devices, stepping up efforts to embed advanced on‑device intelligence into smartwatches and other wearables. The move aligns Apple with broader industry trends toward AI‑enabled consumer hardware. #Apple #wearables #AI #FiatNews

Anthropic has launched a new AI model, expanding its generative AI offerings amid growing competition in large‑scale models. The announcement adds to Anthropic’s product lineup, though details on capabilities, pricing or rollout timing were not specified. #Anthropic #AI #FiatNews

Economist Ed Yardeni told CNBC that investment spending by large technology companies will again be a significant support for the U.S. economy this year, and that additional fiscal stimulus will further bolster growth. He framed corporate capital expenditure by major tech firms as a primary driver of the current economic expansion. Yardeni highlighted the combination of robust private-sector tech investment and supportive fiscal measures as mutually reinforcing. While he did not provide specific figures in the brief remark, the emphasis was on the continued importance of technology-sector capex to aggregate demand. The comments were delivered on CNBC and position both sustained tech investment and fiscal policy as central contributors to U.S. economic momentum in 2026. #EdYardeni #US #tech #economy #FiatNews

Wall Street stagnated on entering the new week after the long holiday weekend as U.S. equity markets lacked fresh news to set a clear direction. An early decline was fully erased and, briefly, stocks moved into positive territory. Trading remained subdued and range-bound without new catalysts to sustain momentum, leaving overall price action without a decisive trend. No company-specific developments or macro headlines emerged to tip the balance, so markets remained on hold pending new information. #WallStreet #USStocks #FiatNews

U.S. hyperscalers plan roughly $700 billion in investments this year, and if investors demand about an 8% return on that capital, the group would need to produce annual profits well above $60 billion to justify the spending. The calculation underscores the scale of capital being deployed by the largest cloud and infrastructure providers and the profit generation required to meet typical return expectations. The figure—cited in recent commentary—compares planned capital expenditures against a single-digit required rate of return, highlighting how even modest percentage points translate to tens of billions in earnings at this investment scale. The note frames the challenge for hyperscalers to monetize capacity and convert massive investment programs into commensurate profits. Implications include sustained pressure on pricing, efficiency gains, and service monetization as companies seek to cover large, upfront capital outlays while meeting investor return targets. #hyperscalers #cloud #investment #tech #FiatNews

Notable companies reporting results around Feb 18 include Booking Holdings (after market), DoorDash, Moody’s, Euronext, Garmin, Global Payments and Occidental Petroleum among others across Europe and the US. #Booking #FiatNews

Key US releases for Feb 18 include durable goods orders (Dec), housing starts (Dec), industrial production (Jan) and the Conference Board leading index (Dec). The FOMC minutes from Jan 28 are also scheduled for release that day. #economy #FiatNews

BHP reported strong results as rising copper prices boosted profitability despite weaker iron‑ore performance. Copper accounted for more than half of total profit for the first time, and the company’s shares reached a new high. #BHP #copper #FiatNews

Invesco says gold’s 2025–early‑2026 rally pushed prices above levels supported by traditional valuation models and geopolitics. The firm estimates a fair value around $3,500/oz, citing investment demand amid weakening fundamentals. #Gold #FiatNews

Warner Bros. Discovery has reopened sale talks with Paramount Skydance; reports cite a possible price near $31 per share for a deal under discussion. #WBD #FiatNews