US Stock Market Today: Nvidia Slides 5.5%, S&P 500 and Nasdaq End Lower Despite Broad Gains

US Stock Market Today: Nvidia Slides 5.5%, S&P 500 and Nasdaq End Lower Despite Broad Gains​

US equity markets closed mixed on Thursday, February 26, as a sharp decline in chip heavyweight Nvidia Corp. weighed heavily on benchmark indices, overshadowing an otherwise resilient session marked by positive market breadth.

Nvidia Fall Drags Down S&P 500 and Nasdaq​

Shares of Nvidia dropped 5.5 percent despite reporting a strong quarterly performance and issuing guidance that exceeded expectations. The stock’s decline spilled over into the broader semiconductor space, pulling down major chipmakers including Advanced Micro Devices, Broadcom Inc., Intel Corp., and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, each of which fell between 3 percent and 3.5 percent.

Concerns surrounding Nvidia’s business exposure in China, a sharp rise in potential liabilities, and its $100 billion deal with OpenAI continued to weigh on investor sentiment around the AI theme.

The decline in semiconductor stocks dragged the broader market lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.5 percent after recovering 50 points from intraday lows, while the Nasdaq ended 1.2 percent lower, having declined as much as 1.7 percent during the session.

Dow Recovers From Lows​

The Dow Jones Industrial Average staged a partial recovery, rebounding more than 260 points from its lows to close just above the flat line. However, it still ended nearly 350 points below its intraday highs, reflecting the volatile trading pattern seen throughout the day.

Despite the S&P 500’s 0.5 percent drop, market breadth remained constructive, with more than 350 constituents closing in positive territory.

Oil, Dollar and Precious Metals in Focus​

Markets found some late-session support after signs of progress emerged in talks between the US and Iran in Geneva, which led oil prices to pare gains. Even so, Brent crude remains up 18 percent so far in the first two months of 2026.

The US Dollar Index continues to hover around the 98 mark, while gold and silver prices remained largely stable following a highly volatile first half of the month.

Tariff Refund Deadline Looms​

Investor attention now turns to a key policy trigger. The Trump administration faces its first major tariff refund deadline, after courts gave the Department of Justice until February 27 to respond to the Supreme Court’s decision from last week. More than 2,000 cases have been filed in the Court of International Trade seeking expedited refunds following the ruling.

Netflix Surges in Extended Trade​

In corporate developments, shares of Netflix Inc. surged 10 percent in extended trading after it dropped its bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, as the latter considered a higher competing offer from Paramount Global.

The session reflected a market navigating sector-specific pressures in technology while broader participation remained intact across other segments.