Day Trade Cheat Sheet - February 23, 2026

 ## MARKET MOOD: MIXED The market is navigating uncertainty amid renewed U.S. tariff jitters and a Supreme Court ruling that struck down some Trump tariffs, injecting volatility and policy ambiguity. Meanwhile, strong earnings in AI-related tech and select consumer staples provide pockets of optimism, but geopolitical tensions and tariff-related trade disruptions keep risk appetite cautious. --- ## TOP 5 HEADLINES 1. **US Supreme Court strikes down some Trump tariffs** - Impact: Creates policy uncertainty, weighing on risk appetite and global trade sentiment. 2. **Renewed tariff hikes to 15% by Trump spark market jitters** - Impact: Heightened trade tensions add volatility and pressure on equities and commodities. 3. **Nvidia earnings awaited amid AI boom and mixed analyst views** - Impact: Key tech earnings could dictate Nasdaq and AI sector direction. 4. **Novo Nordisk shares plunge 10% after obesity drug trial fails to match Eli Lilly** - Impact: Biotech sector faces pressure; caution advised on pharma growth stocks. 5. **Bitcoin rebounds to $66,300 amid whale buying despite tariff jitters** - Impact: Crypto shows resilience but remains sensitive to macro risks. --- ## INDEX OUTLOOK **SPY (S&P 500):** NEUTRAL - Why: Tariff uncertainty and mixed earnings reports create a balance of cautious optimism and risk aversion. **QQQ (Nasdaq):** MIXED - Why: AI and tech earnings like Nvidia are key catalysts; strong enterprise AI deals contrast with concerns over software margin pressures. **IWM (Russell 2000):** BEARISH - Why: Small caps face headwinds from trade uncertainty and higher borrowing costs, dampening growth prospects. --- ## HOT MOVERS ### Bullish Catalysts **$NVDA** - Anticipated strong AI-driven earnings and expanded Meta partnership. **$AMZN** - Morgan Stanley highlights AWS acceleration and AI upside. **$META** - Developing own cloud business and AI initiatives. **$VEEV** - Despite recent dip, strong results and enterprise deals. **$XRP** - Network growth with 2.5M daily transactions and new Euro stablecoin launch. **$COST** - Strong U.S. sales growth amid tariff rollback optimism. ### Bearish Catalysts **$NVO (Novo Nordisk)** - Shares down 10% after obesity drug trial disappointment. **$SNOW (Snowflake)** - 30% pullback viewed as overreaction but pressure remains. **$CRWV (CoreWeave)** - Execution risks and data center delays flagged. **$AMD** - Mixed sentiment on buying dip amid tech rotation. **$FRT (Freshpet)** - Revenue miss despite earnings beat causes share weakness. **$BLUE (Blue Owl)** - Anxiety over private credit market pressures. --- ## SECTOR BIAS **Favor:** Technology - AI enterprise deals and infrastructure growth drive upside; top pick: **$NVDA** **Favor:** Consumer Staples - Defensive amid tariff uncertainty and affordability trends; top pick: **$COST** **Avoid:** Biotech/Pharma - Trial setbacks and patent risks create volatility; avoid or be selective. --- ## CRYPTO CHECK **BTC:** NEUTRAL - Rebounded to $66,300 amid whale buying but remains vulnerable to tariff and regulatory risks. **ETH:** BEARISH - Founder Vitalik Buterin’s accelerated sales raise concerns; price under pressure relative to BTC. --- ## CATALYST WATCH Events/data that could move markets: - Nvidia Q4 Earnings (Feb 25) - Impact: HIGH - US Jobs Report (Next release) - Impact: HIGH (Fed rate decision hinge) - US Tariff Policy Updates - Impact: HIGH (Ongoing uncertainty) - Supreme Court rulings on tariffs - Impact: MED - Iran Nuclear Talks - Impact: MED (Oil price volatility) --- ## TOP TRADE IDEAS ### #1 Setup **$NVDA** - LONG - Catalyst: AI leadership, strong enterprise deals, and upcoming earnings. - Why now: Earnings due Feb 25 could spark upside momentum. ### #2 Setup **$COST** - LONG - Catalyst: Outperformance amid affordability trends and tariff rollback benefits. - Why now: Strong sales growth and raised price targets. ### #3 Setup **$NVO (Novo Nordisk)** - SHORT - Catalyst: Trial failure and 10% share drop signal near-term weakness. - Why now: Negative sentiment likely to persist post-trial news. --- ## STAY AWAY - **$BLUE (Blue Owl)** - Private credit market concerns create uncertainty and volatility. - **$FRT (Freshpet)** - Mixed earnings with revenue miss and share weakness. - **$CRWV (CoreWeave)** - Execution risks and data center delays ahead of earnings. - **$AMD** - Choppy price action amid tech rotation; binary risk on earnings. --- ## BOTTOM LINE **Today's Play:** Selective Markets face a tug-of-war between tariff-related uncertainty and strong AI/tech earnings. The Supreme Court’s tariff rulings inject volatility, while renewed tariff hikes keep risk appetite in check. Focus on tech leaders like **$NVDA** and defensive consumer staples such as **$COST** for opportunities. Avoid biotech names like **$NVO** facing trial setbacks and remain cautious on small caps and private credit-exposed stocks. Crypto shows resilience but remains vulnerable to macro risks. Key catalysts this week include Nvidia earnings and the upcoming US jobs report, which will heavily influence Fed policy expectations and market direction.