{"id":58852,"date":"2026-02-20T11:08:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T15:08:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wall-street-slips-on-disappointing-gdp-as-trump-weighs-iran-strike-and-ukraine-talks-stall\/58852\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T11:08:37","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T15:08:37","slug":"wall-street-slips-on-disappointing-gdp-as-trump-weighs-iran-strike-and-ukraine-talks-stall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wall-street-slips-on-disappointing-gdp-as-trump-weighs-iran-strike-and-ukraine-talks-stall\/58852\/","title":{"rendered":"Wall Street Slips on Disappointing GDP as Trump Weighs Iran Strike and Ukraine Talks Stall"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>US markets opened lower<\/strong> on Friday with the <strong>Nasdaq (<a href=\"\/stock\/QQQ\">QQQ<\/a>) leading losses<\/strong>, down <strong>0.56%<\/strong> following a &quot;disappointing&quot; GDP report.<\/li>\n<li><strong>President Trump is reportedly considering a &quot;limited strike&quot; on Iran<\/strong>, sparking immediate geopolitical concerns and potential volatility in energy and defense sectors.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ukraine peace negotiations in Geneva<\/strong> remain deadlocked on territorial issues, though President Zelenskiy described the military track as <strong>&quot;constructive.&quot;<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>India has officially joined the US-led &#39;Pax Silica&#39; group<\/strong>, a major strategic expansion of the Western semiconductor alliance aimed at supply chain security.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Economic advisor Kevin Hassett<\/strong> defended the &quot;Trump economy&quot; as running near <strong>3% growth<\/strong>, despite the &quot;somewhat disappointing&quot; latest GDP figures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Major US indices retreated at the opening bell on Friday as investors grappled with a combination of underwhelming economic data and escalating geopolitical risks. The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/dowjones\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Dow Jones Today\">Dow Jones<\/a> Industrial Average (<a href=\"\/stock\/DIA\">DIA<\/a>) fell 163.26 points, or 0.33%<\/strong>, while the <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>) dropped 0.34%<\/strong> and the <strong>Nasdaq Composite (<a href=\"\/stock\/QQQ\">QQQ<\/a>) shed 0.56%<\/strong>. <em>The market&#39;s downward trajectory reflects growing anxiety over a potential military escalation in the Middle East and a slower-than-expected pace of domestic growth.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Geopolitical tensions spiked following reports that <strong>President Donald Trump is considering a &quot;limited strike&quot; on Iran<\/strong>. The move is reportedly intended to pressure Tehran into a new nuclear agreement, with the President setting a deadline for a deal within the next <strong>10 to 15 days<\/strong>. <em>Defense contractors and energy markets are expected to see heightened volatility<\/em> as the administration reviews options ranging from targeted strikes on military sites to broader campaigns.<\/p>\n<p>In the diplomatic arena, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy provided a mixed update on the <strong>Geneva peace talks<\/strong>, noting that while the <strong>military track is &quot;constructive,&quot;<\/strong> there has been <strong>&quot;no positive movement&quot; on territorial issues<\/strong>. All sides have agreed to a follow-up meeting within <strong>10 days<\/strong>, with Zelenskiy pushing for another round of negotiations as early as late February. Meanwhile, the Kremlin confirmed that chief negotiator <strong>Vladimir Medinsky<\/strong> briefed Russia&#39;s Security Council on the status of the discussions.<\/p>\n<p>On the economic front, National Economic Council Director <strong>Kevin Hassett<\/strong> described the latest <strong>GDP report as &quot;somewhat disappointing.&quot;<\/strong> Despite the data, Hassett maintained that the <strong>&quot;Trump economy&quot; is performing close to a 3% growth rate<\/strong> and admitted to getting &quot;a little emotional&quot; regarding the New York Fed&#39;s reaction to the report. <em>Analysts suggest that the discrepancy between official data and administration projections may keep the Federal Reserve on a cautious path regarding future interest rate adjustments.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>In a significant shift for global tech supply chains, the <strong>United States has officially added India to the &#39;Pax Silica&#39; group<\/strong>. This strategic alliance, which includes nations like Japan and South Korea, aims to build a secure, innovation-driven semiconductor and AI infrastructure. The inclusion of India is expected to bolster the iShares MSCI India ETF (<a href=\"\/stock\/INDA\">INDA<\/a>) as New Delhi gains a more prominent role in the Western-led &quot;silicon supply chain&quot; designed to reduce dependence on non-aligned nations.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, international support for Ukraine continues to formalize outside of direct peace talks. The French Presidency announced that <strong>President Emmanuel Macron<\/strong> and <strong>UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/strong> will co-preside over a video conference for the <strong>&quot;Coalition of the Willing&quot; on February 24<\/strong>, marking the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion. Separately, a <strong>5.3 magnitude earthquake<\/strong> was reported 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan, though no immediate reports of major industrial disruption or casualties have surfaced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways US markets opened lower on Friday with the Nasdaq (QQQ) leading losses, down 0.56% following a &quot;disappointing&quot; GDP 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