US stock indices closed the week in the green. On 12.2.2026 the S&P 500 rose by 0.7%, while the Nasdaq—the main U.S. technology index—advanced 0.9%. Germany’s DAX increased by 1.0%. The gains left major U.S. and European benchmarks higher at the weekly close, with technology shares contributing to the U.S. advance. No additional company-specific details were reported in the note. Key moves: S&P 500 +0.7% (12.2.2026), Nasdaq +0.9%, DAX +1.0%. #SP500 #Nasdaq #DAX #FiatNews

Corporate investment in artificial intelligence is reshaping capital allocation, including a noticeable decline in share buybacks as firms redirect cash toward AI projects. The article highlights that heavier spending on AI has multiple knock-on effects for companies’ capital returns and financial policy. #AI #corporatefinance Firms that prioritize AI investment may scale back buybacks to fund research, data, talent and infrastructure, altering expected returns for shareholders. The piece notes a recent downward trend in buybacks and suggests that the trade-off between short‑term returns and long‑term growth from AI is increasingly prominent. The author also mentions having published simple calculations a few days earlier estimating the required returns on AI investments. Those back‑of‑envelope figures were intended to frame how much value companies need to generate from AI to justify reduced buybacks and other reallocated capital. #FiatNews

Market snapshot (20 Feb): PX +0.71% today; DAX +0.72%; Stoxx 600 +0.75%; Nasdaq +1.16%; S&P 500 +0.50%; Dow +0.25%. FX: CZK/EUR 24.22, CZK/USD 20.54, USD/EUR 1.1791. Indices have shown solid year‑to‑date gains across regions. #markets #FX #FiatNews

In a featured interview, investor Steve Eisman spoke with Columbia University's Daniel Guetta about how AI systems function and the inherent technical limits that shape their capabilities. The discussion highlighted both AI potential and its structural constraints. #AI #FiatNews

Articles claiming China is dumping US Treasuries are misleading on closer inspection, analysts say. Deeper data indicate that headlines overstate the trend and that the situation does not necessarily imply a straightforward leverage of European or Chinese holdings over the US bond market. #China #bonds #FiatNews

Goldman Sachs added Credo Technology Group to its picks, citing accelerating demand for high‑speed connectivity in AI data centers and suggesting about 30% upside potential for the company as that market grows. No valuation or target price was provided in the summary. #AI #FiatNews

Nvidia is reportedly negotiating an investment of up to $30 billion into OpenAI in a new funding round that could value the AI developer at about $830 billion. Talks would mark a major private capital infusion into the company behind ChatGPT. #NVDA #OpenAI #FiatNews

Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland launched a joint project to develop low-cost air‑defence systems inspired by lessons from the battlefield in Ukraine. The initiative aims to produce more affordable, scalable short-range air‑defence capabilities. #defense #Europe #FiatNews

Czech Industry Minister Karel Havlíček said the government will take steps toward full control of energy group ČEZ. The statement came during a presentation of the cabinet's economic strategy and signals a planned shift in state involvement in the sector. #CEZ #Czechia #FiatNews

Czechoslovak Group, via its Excalibur International unit, won a contract worth in the lower hundreds of millions of euros to supply ammunition to an unnamed NATO member in Western Europe, the company announced. No further details on timing or quantities were disclosed. #CSG #FiatNews

Geopolitical tensions climbed as US military presence in the region increased attention on Iran. Markets signaled limited expected disruption: Brent crude slipped about 0.6%, suggesting investors priced in a scenario of a short-lived military action or diplomatic resolution. #Oil #Iran #FiatNews

Preliminary purchasing managers' indices for the eurozone improved between January and February, modestly beating estimates. Germany showed notable resilience, easing some concerns tied to tariffs, energy and competition from China in the region. #Eurozone #PMI #FiatNews

Markets rose after the Supreme Court ruling: Nasdaq 100 added about 1% in late trading, S&P 500 up ~0.5%. European bourses also climbed—Stoxx 50 and CAC up near 1%, DAX and FTSE more modestly higher. Prague's PX recorded gains as well. #markets #NASDAQ #FiatNews

US GDP slowed sharply in Q4 2025, growing at a 1.4% annualized rate versus 4.4% in Q3. The deceleration came amid weaker exports and lower government spending; consensus had expected roughly 2.8% annualized growth for the quarter. #GDP #US #FiatNews

US Supreme Court rules Trump tariffs unlawful, saying the president exceeded authority under a federal emergency statute. The decision annuls broad "reciprocal" tariffs aimed at much of the world and targeted import taxes the administration had tied to fentanyl trafficking concerns. #US #tariffs #SupremeCourt #FiatNews

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, struck down sweeping global tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, ruling they were unlawful. The Court found that the president overstepped his authority by invoking a federal emergency powers statute to impose broad "reciprocal" tariffs affecting much of the world and by enacting targeted import duties said to address illicit fentanyl-related trade. The decision rejects the administration’s use of emergency powers as the legal basis for the tariffs and for select import levies tied to public‑health and law‑enforcement goals. The court’s reasoning centers on separation of powers and statutory limits on executive authority. The ruling removes the legal foundation for those tariff measures and may require Congress or subsequent administrations to pursue other routes for trade and drug‑control policy. #SupremeCourt #Trump #tariffs #fentanyl #FiatNews

On 20 February 2026 Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Poland launched a joint project to develop low‑cost air defence systems inspired by operational lessons from the war in Ukraine. The initiative aims to produce cheaper, more widely deployable systems based on battlefield experience rather than traditional high‑end platforms. Officials from the five countries said the effort responds to changing threats observed in Ukraine, where demand for numerous, cost‑effective anti‑air solutions has grown. No budget, procurement timeline or technical details were disclosed in the initial announcement. The project signals increased European cooperation on short‑range air defence capability development and reflects a shift toward scalable, lower‑cost systems informed by recent combat use. #AirDefence #Ukraine #Europe #FiatNews

The US economy slowed markedly at the end of 2025, growing at an annualized rate of 1.4% in Q4 after a 4.4% expansion in the previous quarter. The deceleration was driven in part by a drop in exports and lower government spending. Economists had expected a stronger outturn of about 2.8% (annualized quarter-on-quarter), so the reported figure represents a notable shortfall versus forecasts. The data follow a period of very strong growth earlier in the year and underscore that headline momentum weakened as external demand and public-sector outlays eased. #USGDP #economy #Q42025 #FiatNews

Tom Lee, chief executive of Bitmine Immersion and Fundstrat, told CNBC that inflation should retreat to levels seen before 2020 and that artificial intelligence will create distinct winners and losers across industries. He said the stock market is unlikely to put much weight on current labor‑market data. Lee made the comments on CNBC, highlighting a view that longer‑term structural forces—rather than short‑term employment prints—may drive market outcomes. #AI #inflation #TomLee #FiatNews

Steve Eisman ran an extensive interview with Columbia University’s Daniel Guetta on artificial intelligence. Guetta explains how AI models work and stresses their inherent limits due to design and data constraints, urging measured expectations. #AI #DanielGuetta #FiatNews