On Thursday, 19 February 2026, global markets are edging higher, with oil and gold rising on escalating U.S.–Iran tensions while equities gain on renewed interest in big tech, as investors remain cautious in Europe and Japan.
Crypto
Total crypto market capitalization is about $2.3 trillion, down roughly 1.9% over 24 hours, with the Fear & Greed Index at 11, showing sentiment is stuck in “extreme fear”, the Altcoin Season Index pointing to 31/100, highlighting that Bitcoin is still in charge, and the Average Crypto RSI Index near 41, signaling a broadly oversold market.
Bitcoin trades around $67,093, down about 1.5% on the day after failing to hold recent highs, while Ethereum is softer at about $1,977, off just over 2% as traders trim recent gains, BNB is near $608, down more than 2% in 24 hours, and Solana is sliding over 4% to roughly $81.80.
Spot bitcoin ETFs have now logged two consecutive days of net outflows, with about $105 million leaving the products on 17 February, driven by roughly $120 million exiting IBIT, followed by around $133 million more on 18 February, including $84 million from IBIT and nearly $50 million from FBTC, underscoring how quickly ETF demand can flip from support to drag when momentum fades.
Commodities
Oil is grinding higher as markets weigh the risk of supply disruption from the Middle East, with Brent trading near $70.60 a barrel, up about 0.4% on the day, while WTI sits around $65.47, also up roughly 0.4%, extending the previous session’s gains.
Reports of a U.S. military buildup around Iran and Ukrainian drone strikes on a Russian oil depot added to the sense of tightness in oil markets, while gold was pushed higher to about $4,991.15 on safe-haven buying and uncertainty over the timing of any Fed rate cuts.
Stock Market Indices
U.S. equities are resilient, with the S&P 500 up 0.56% at 6,881, the Dow adding 0.26% to 49,663, and the Nasdaq leading with a 0.78% gain to 22,754 as enthusiasm around artificial intelligence returns after Nvidia’s multi-year chip deal with Meta.
In Europe, the FTSE 100 is down 0.37% at 10,635, dragged down by miners after weaker earnings from Rio Tinto, while in Japan, the Nikkei 225 futures trade about 0.45% lower at 57,300 as investors digest the Bank of Japan’s hiking path and a stronger yen.
Geopolitics & Market Sentiment
On the diplomatic front, investors are focused on U.S.–Iran talks after Geneva negotiations showed only limited progress and Washington ordered more forces into the region, with full deployment expected by mid-March, while the conflict in Ukraine remains a key global risk after drones struck a Russian oil depot and peace talks ended without a breakthrough.
On the economic side, Federal Reserve minutes show a divided committee with little urgency to cut rates, as some members are still open to further hikes if inflation stays sticky, which is helping the dollar hold firm as markets look to global PMIs, U.S. GDP, and upcoming Fed speeches for clues.
In Asia, a Reuters poll now sees the Bank of Japan raising its policy rate to 1% by end-June, adding another layer of global tightening, while the ECB navigates leadership speculation and mixed data.
