Stock Market Update
18-Feb-26 13:55 ET
Gold Climbs 2% on Safe-Haven Buying Ahead of Fed Minutes as Yields Ease
Dow +174.60
at 49706.68,
Nasdaq +228.39
at 22806.79,
S&P +45.57
at 6888.78
[BRIEFING.COM] The Nasdaq Composite (+1.01%) is in first place, up about 228 points.
Gold futures settled $103.60 higher (+2.0%) at $5,009.50/oz, as buyers stepped in after recent selling, with traders citing safe-haven demand amid ongoing geopolitical tension and positioning ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's January minutes that could reinforce a softer rate outlook. The rally was also supported by a modest pullback in yields and a slightly softer dollar, which tends to boost dollar-priced commodities like gold.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index is up about +0.5% to $97.60.
