{"id":58744,"date":"2026-02-18T18:38:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T22:38:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-led-sp-500-gains-defy-8-3b-outflows-as-goldmans-solomon-reveals-bitcoin-stake\/58744\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T18:38:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T22:38:32","slug":"tech-led-sp-500-gains-defy-8-3b-outflows-as-goldmans-solomon-reveals-bitcoin-stake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/tech-led-sp-500-gains-defy-8-3b-outflows-as-goldmans-solomon-reveals-bitcoin-stake\/58744\/","title":{"rendered":"Tech-Led S&#038;P 500 Gains Defy $8.3B Outflows as Goldman\u2019s Solomon Reveals Bitcoin Stake"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a> (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPY\">SPY<\/a>) rose on tech strength<\/strong> despite <strong>Bank of America (<a href=\"\/stock\/BAC\">BAC<\/a>)<\/strong> reporting massive <strong>$8.3 billion in client stock dumps<\/strong> amid ongoing market volatility.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>) CEO David Solomon<\/strong> disclosed owning <strong>&quot;very, very limited&quot; Bitcoin<\/strong>, marking a significant pivot from his long-standing skepticism toward digital assets.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Rio Tinto (<a href=\"\/stock\/RIO\">RIO<\/a>)<\/strong> seized <strong>majority control (54%) of Nemaska Lithium<\/strong>, committing <strong>$300 million in 2026<\/strong> to accelerate Quebec-based production by 2028.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bayer (<a href=\"\/stock\/BAYRY\">BAYRY<\/a>)<\/strong> proposed a <strong>$7.25 billion Roundup settlement<\/strong> to end years of litigation, though the deal faces steep investor skepticism and a warning of <strong>negative 2026 cash flow<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>The IMF<\/strong> issued a stern warning to <strong>China<\/strong>, urging a strategic shift toward <strong>domestic consumption<\/strong> as export-led growth becomes &quot;less viable&quot; due to global trade tensions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Market Volatility and Financial Shifts<\/h2>\n<p>Tech-led gains pushed the <strong>S&amp;P 500 (<a href=\"\/stock\/SPY\">SPY<\/a>)<\/strong> higher on Wednesday, as robust U.S. economic data helped investors overlook hawkish signals from the <strong>Federal Reserve<\/strong>. However, the rally occurred against a backdrop of heavy institutional selling, with <strong>Bank of America (<a href=\"\/stock\/BAC\">BAC<\/a>)<\/strong> clients offloading <strong>$8.3 billion in equities<\/strong>\u2014one of the largest weekly outflows on record.<\/p>\n<p>In a surprising admission at the <strong>World Liberty Forum<\/strong> at Mar-a-Lago, <strong>Goldman Sachs (<a href=\"\/stock\/GS\">GS<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO David Solomon revealed he now personally holds a <strong>&quot;very, very limited&quot; amount of Bitcoin<\/strong>. Solomon, previously a vocal critic of crypto, described himself as an <em>observer<\/em> of the asset class while noting that traditional finance is moving closer to digital assets under the current administration.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, <strong>JPMorgan Chase (<a href=\"\/stock\/JPM\">JPM<\/a>)<\/strong> analysts warned that a surge in <strong>currency hedging<\/strong> is increasing pressure on the <strong>U.S. Dollar<\/strong>. The bank maintained a <strong>bearish outlook<\/strong> for the greenback through mid-2026, citing a shift in global monetary policy and narrowing interest rate differentials.<\/p>\n<h2>Corporate Strategy and Legal Battles<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Rio Tinto (<a href=\"\/stock\/RIO\">RIO<\/a>)<\/strong> solidified its position in the battery metal sector by taking a <strong>53.9% majority stake<\/strong> in <strong>Nemaska Lithium<\/strong>. The mining giant plans to invest <strong>$300 million in 2026<\/strong> to develop the <strong>Becancour facility<\/strong> in Quebec, targeting a <strong>2028 start date<\/strong> to supply the North American electric vehicle market, including partners like <strong>Ford (<a href=\"\/stock\/F\">F<\/a>)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Bayer (<a href=\"\/stock\/BAYRY\">BAYRY<\/a>)<\/strong> CEO Bill Anderson is struggling to convince investors of a <strong>$7.25 billion settlement<\/strong> intended to resolve current and future <strong>Roundup cancer claims<\/strong>. While the deal aims for &quot;litigation closure,&quot; shareholders remain wary of <strong>U.S. Supreme Court<\/strong> review uncertainties and the company&#39;s projection of <strong>negative free cash flow<\/strong> in 2026 due to the massive payouts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Apollo Global Management (<a href=\"\/stock\/APO\">APO<\/a>)<\/strong> issued a defensive statement clarifying that CEO <strong>Marc Rowan<\/strong> and other staff had <strong>no business or personal ties<\/strong> to Jeffrey Epstein, with the exception of former founder <strong>Leon Black<\/strong>. The firm emphasized that Rowan&#39;s interactions were strictly limited to providing information linked to Black\u2019s tax work, as it faces renewed pressure from <strong>teachers&#39; unions<\/strong> for an SEC probe.<\/p>\n<h2>Geopolitics and Global Macro<\/h2>\n<p>The <strong>International Monetary Fund (IMF)<\/strong> urged <strong>China<\/strong> to prioritize <strong>domestic consumption<\/strong> over its current export-heavy model to avoid &quot;adverse spillovers&quot; to the global economy. The IMF projects China\u2019s growth will slow to <strong>4.5% in 2026<\/strong>, warning that its massive economic size makes continued reliance on trade surpluses unsustainable.<\/p>\n<p>In the defense sector, <strong>Lockheed Martin (<a href=\"\/stock\/LMT\">LMT<\/a>)<\/strong> secured a contract to deliver advanced <strong>C-130J training devices<\/strong> to the <strong>Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)<\/strong>. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in <strong>2029<\/strong>, supporting Australia&#39;s recent acquisition of <strong>20 new Super Hercules aircraft<\/strong> to modernize its tactical airlift capabilities.<\/p>\n<p>Geopolitical tensions remain elevated as <strong>U.S. officials<\/strong> confirmed that the <strong>USS Gerald R. Ford<\/strong> aircraft carrier and its strike group remain in the <strong>Atlantic<\/strong>, having not yet crossed the <strong>Strait of Gibraltar<\/strong>. Simultaneously, <strong>Venezuela\u2019s Interim President Delcy Rodriguez<\/strong> announced upcoming bilateral talks with <strong>Colombia\u2019s President Petro<\/strong> to address regional energy and security cooperation.<\/p>\n<h2>Energy and Fund Updates<\/h2>\n<p>Energy markets saw a slight shift as <strong>API crude oil stocks fell by 0.609 million barrels<\/strong>, a sharp reversal from the previous week&#39;s massive <strong>13.4 million barrel build<\/strong>. The data provided a modest floor for prices as traders weigh global demand concerns against tightening domestic inventories.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, <strong>J.P. Morgan Asset Management Canada<\/strong> announced a <strong>risk rating change<\/strong> for the <strong>JPMorgan Nasdaq Equity Premium Income Active ETF (<a href=\"\/stock\/JEPQ\">JEPQ<\/a>)<\/strong>. The adjustment reflects evolving market conditions for the popular income-focused fund as it navigates a high-volatility environment for tech-heavy indices.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways S&amp;P 500 (SPY) rose on tech strength despite Bank of America (BAC) reporting massive $8.3 billion in client 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