U.S. Stocks Rise After Cooling Inflation

On February 13, 2026, U.S. equity indexes climbed as January CPI showed a 0.2% month-over-month increase and a 2.4% year-over-year reading, the lowest since early 2024. Traders interpreted the muted inflation print as increasing odds of a Fed rate cut in Q2, while market attention also focused on an estimated $650 billion-plus in AI-related capex by Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta this year. The data buoyed growth-oriented and semiconductor-linked stocks mid-session.