February 13 Market Summary: Apple's Worst Single-Day Performance in Five Years, Tonight's CPI is the Ultimate Judge
On February 12th, U.S. markets experienced one of their worst sessions of the year, with major indices declining sharply: the Dow fell 1.34%, the S&P 500 dropped 1.57%, and the Nasdaq plunged 2.03%. The sell-off was largely triggered by Cisco's earnings report. Despite posting record revenue and beating EPS estimates, Cisco’s stock plummeted over 12% due to concerns over shrinking margins from rising memory chip costs and tariff impacts. This raised doubts about the sustainability of AI-driven profitability.
The panic spread across tech stocks: Apple fell 5%, Disney dropped 5.31%, and other giants like Meta, Amazon, Nvidia, and Microsoft also declined. Defensive stocks like Walmart and McDonald’s gained as investors sought safety.
All eyes are now on the January CPI data, delayed due to a government shutdown and set for release on February 13th. Expectations are for a slight cooling in both headline and core inflation. A lower-than-expected CPI could revive rate-cut hopes and provide relief for risk assets, while a higher reading may further delay Fed easing and intensify selling pressure.
Gold showed relative resilience, trading around $4,980-$5,000/oz, while silver fell more sharply. Bitcoin drifted toward $65,000 amid extreme fear in the crypto market, with ETF outflows and AI narrative concerns adding to the pressure. Tonight’s CPI data will serve as a critical catalyst for short-term direction across equities, commodities, and cryptocurrencies.
marsbit02/13 01:58
