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Feb 19, 2026 4:00 AM

Nasdaq Settles Higher As Tech Stocks Rebound: Investor Sentiment Improves, Greed Index Remains In 'Fear' Zone

The CNN Money Fear and Greed index showed some easing in the overall fear level, while the index remained in the “Fear” zone on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks settled higher on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones index gaining more than 100 points during the session as investors digested the release of the minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting.

Tech stocks recovered on Wednesday, led by a rally in battered software names. Cadence Design Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CDNS) led the tech advance, jumping nearly 8% after the chip-design software provider topped fourth-quarter revenue estimates and projected strong growth for 2026

In earnings, Analog Devices Inc (NASDAQ:ADI) shares gained around 2.6% after the company reported better-than-expected first-quarter financial results and issued second-quarter EPS guidance above estimates. Palo Alto Networks Inc.