Global Headlines | U.S. stock market's three major indices close higher, Berkshire Hathaway reduces holdings of Apple by over 10 million shares

【US Stock Indexes】

On Wednesday, February 18 (Eastern Time), the three major U.S. stock indexes all closed higher. The S&P 500 rose 0.56% to 6,881.31 points; the Dow Jones increased 0.26% to 49,662.66 points; and the Nasdaq gained 0.78% to 22,753.63 points.

【U.S. Treasuries】

On February 18, the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was 4.09%, and the 2-year U.S. Treasury yield—most sensitive to Federal Reserve policy rates—was 3.47%.

【Popular U.S. Stocks】

Among popular U.S. stocks, Nvidia rose 1.63%, Apple increased 0.18%, Google C rose 0.37%, Google A rose 0.43%, Microsoft gained 0.69%, Amazon increased 1.81%, TSMC fell 0.55%, Meta rose 0.62%, Tesla increased 0.14%, Advanced Micro Devices fell 1.46%, and Intel declined 1.56%.

【Global Indexes】

【China Indexes】

On February 18, the Nasdaq China Golden Dragon Index decreased by 0.04%.

【China Concept Stocks】

In the realm of popular China concept stocks, Tencent Holdings (Hong Kong) rose 0.19%, Alibaba increased 0.23%, Pinduoduo rose 1.07%, NetEase gained 0.16%, Baidu increased 0.39%, Trip.com rose 0.91%, Li Auto declined 0.44%, XPeng declined 0.11%, and NIO fell 0.10%.

【FX and Commodities】

【Global News】

Alphabet CEO Pichai: Announces partnership between the Indian government and Google DeepMind

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the Indian government has established a partnership with Google DeepMind.

Musk’s mother posts Chinese New Year greetings in Chinese: Happy New Year! Wishing you prosperity!

On February 17, Maye Musk, the mother of U.S. entrepreneur Elon Musk, posted on social media, sending Chinese New Year greetings in Chinese. “Happy New Year!” she wrote in Chinese in her post that day: “Wishing you prosperity.” She also extended her wishes in English: “Wishing you health, wealth, and happiness in the Year of the Horse!” (Global Times)

Berkshire Hathaway significantly reduces its holdings of Apple by over 10 million shares

On February 17, local time, Berkshire Hathaway filed a 13F form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), showing that the company reduced its Apple holdings for the third consecutive quarter. The filing disclosed that Berkshire Hathaway sold approximately 10.295 million shares of Apple in Q4 2025, decreasing its holdings by 4.32% quarter-over-quarter, with the proportion of its portfolio dropping to 22.60%. As of the end of Q4 2025, Apple remained Berkshire Hathaway’s largest holding. (Jiemian News)

Microsoft plans to invest $5 billion in AI in the Global South before the end of this decade

At the India AI Influence Summit, Microsoft announced its plan to invest $5 billion before the end of this decade to promote AI technology across countries in the Global South. The five key initiatives include: building infrastructure for widespread AI adoption; empowering schools and nonprofits through technology and skills training; enhancing AI capabilities across multiple languages and diverse cultures; fostering local AI innovations that meet community needs; and evaluating AI deployment to guide future policies and investments.

European Central Bank President Lagarde reportedly to resign before the end of her 8-year term

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is reportedly planning to step down before completing her 8-year term. (Caixin)

Google Developer Conference scheduled for May 19-20, 2026

On February 17, local time, Google’s parent company Alphabet announced that the 2026 Google I/O Developer Conference will be held from May 19 to May 20, 2026.

India’s Yotta Data signs a $1 billion cooperation agreement with Nvidia

India’s Yotta Data has signed a cooperation agreement with Nvidia valued at over $1 billion, spanning four years.

Users report issues with YouTube, Google, Amazon Web Services, and Cloudflare

Users have reported problems with the usage of YouTube, Google services, Amazon Web Services, and Cloudflare.

Tesla avoids a 30-day sales ban in California; its autonomous driving marketing is compliant

The California Department of Motor Vehicles stated that Tesla has taken corrective measures regarding its marketing of autonomous driving features, and therefore will not face a 30-day sales ban in the state. In a statement issued Tuesday, the DMV said Tesla has implemented “corrective actions” to prevent suspension of sales. Last December, after an administrative law judge ruled on a case where the state regulator accused Tesla of exaggerating the capabilities of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features in marketing, Tesla was given 90 days to achieve compliance.

Tesla: The first Cybertruck has officially rolled off the line at its Gigafactory in Texas, USA

Tesla announced that the first Cybertruck has officially been produced at its Gigafactory in Texas.