Insider Tips - Weekly Stock Market Report - Week February 23, 2026
Insider Tips — February 23, 2026
In this week’s Insider Tips, I walk through why the market can stay in an uptrend longer than most people expect: when you “follow the money,” you can see liquidity supporting asset prices even when headline shocks hit (like the court decision on tariffs that briefly spooked markets before they recovered). My core message is that money creation tends to lift prices across stocks and hard assets, so instead of trying to pick tops, I focus on trend, breadth, and risk control. From a charting standpoint, the broad market looks stronger than parts of tech, volatility has cooled from a recent spike, and stock selection matters more than ever—because leadership is concentrated in specific groups while several high-profile names are breaking down.
Technical Analysis
- Overall condition: I still see four green lights, so I’m treating this as a green market.
- NASDAQ: The weak link—still below the 50-day moving average, mainly because mega-cap tech is struggling and dragging the index.
- S&P 500: Right at the 50-day, holding up fine.
- Dow: Well above the 50-day, still strong overall.
- NYSE Composite: Strong and broad, well above the 50-day—healthier participation beyond just tech.
- Volatility (VIX): It spiked, then cooled—when volatility calms, money tends to come off the sidelines and re-enter markets.
Market Trends
- Liquidity drives price: When more money is sloshing around the system, markets can “melt up” longer than most people expect.
- Broad strength vs tech drag: Big tech can lag while broader indexes stay healthy—this is why I track multiple indexes, not just one.
- My edge is “stacking dots”: I read a lot of charts to build a full picture—support, resistance, and patterns—so I can stay aligned with what the market is actually doing.
Individual Stocks
NVIDIA:
Big reminder—earnings are a unique, one-day risk event. I don’t want anyone exposed without protection. This is where deep-in-the-money covered calls can reduce damage if the stock gaps down.
Apple:
Building a cup-with-handle. The key breakout area is the top of the handle, but it needs to reclaim the 50-day to get real momentum.
Tesla:
Chopping between the 50-day and 200-day—not a compelling buy or sell right now; it needs a catalyst and proof the story is improving.
Broadcom / AMD:
Both are below the 50-day (AMD after a gap-down). Statistically, these are harder buys until they regain key moving averages.
Micron:
Stronger than peers—above the 50-day and acting resilient with a constructive consolidation.
SanDisk:
Beautiful run but very steep—if semis stumble, steep-angle leaders can pull back hard to the next support zone.
Western Digital:
Continues to act like a leader, pushing to new highs.
Palantir:
Breaking down toward a death cross (50-day rolling under 200-day). If key support fails, downside risk escalates quickly.
Robinhood:
Heavy breakdown with a death-cross setup; the chart keeps wanting lower until it finds a real swing-support area.
SoFi:
Also heading toward a potential death cross; the finance group is falling out of favor and the chart reflects it.
Hims & Hers:
Major weakness and extremely low relative strength—this can take a long time to repair confidence.
Rivian:
Bearish ABCD down on the weekly view; if it fails key support under the 200-day, the next measured move is much lower.
Sector / Industry Leadership
I keep hammering this because it matters: a big chunk of a stock’s performance comes from its sector and industry group.
- Strong groups: mining, computers, semiconductors; and fiber optics is a great example of what happens when the group is leading (leaders can explode simply by being in the right place).
- Weak groups: healthcare-related services and multiple software groups—software is getting pressured as AI changes the landscape.
- Lesson: Being in the wrong group can crush even “good” stocks; being in the right group can supercharge returns.
Key Takeaways
- I’m treating this as a green market, and I respect that trend.
- NASDAQ weakness is the main caution flag; broader indexes look healthier.
- Volatility cooling supports continued participation from sidelined money.
- Earnings are avoidable gap-risk—protection matters most on those one-day events.
- Stock selection is everything: leaders consolidate, laggards break, and sectors amplify outcomes.
- My edge comes from stacking “dots” across many charts—not one indicator.
Conclusion
My job isn’t to predict—my job is to read what the market is saying and manage risk accordingly. Right now, the picture is sideways-to-higher in a green market, with broad strength offsetting tech weakness. I stay aligned with the strongest groups, avoid breakdowns, and use disciplined risk controls—especially around earnings and “death cross” type deterioration.
Current Market Condition:
The market remains green and biased higher, but the internal read is mixed: NASDAQ/tech is the weak link (still under the 50-day), while the broader indexes (S&P, Dow, NYSE) are holding up better, and volatility has cooled after a spike—supportive for risk-on flows. Stay bullish with discipline: be selective, respect moving averages, and manage earnings/pattern risk as more individual names start to break down.
Stock of the Week:
Robinhood (HOOD) Stock Is Rolling Over: Death Cross, Gap Magnet & Why Investors Must Be Careful
In this video, I break down why HOOD is flashing caution signals even if the company story still sounds exciting: downward earnings revisions, repeated failure to reclaim the 50-day, and signs of distribution. The big technical warning is the death cross (50-day crossing below the 200-day), plus a “dreaded H” type rollover that can lead to extended weakness. I also point out the gap magnet near the low-$50s area and why “it’s already down” thinking can become a trap—capital preservation comes first.
In this video, I explain why most traders don’t fail from bad luck—they fail because they operate without a structured, rules-based plan. The core shift is moving from prediction to engineering income, using covered calls like a “rental property” mindset—focused on consistent yield, not excitement. I walk through why time decay (theta) is the real engine, how pros manage postures (defensive/balanced/opportunistic), and the must-haves of a real system: defined entries, predefined exits, position sizing, and regime awareness—so you don’t run a “hope machine.” (cashflowmachine.io)
Podcast Episode This Week:
In this episode of the Wealth Architect Podcast, Mark sits down with Daniel Nikic (global investment research expert and founder of COHRES) to unpack what deep research actually looks like: why cash flow vs. accrual accounting matters, how to spot red flags hidden in financial footnotes, and what investors should understand about the current AI boom—including Nvidia and valuation concerns. They also discuss where innovation capital is flowing globally across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and China, and how to use research to make smarter decisions.
Upcoming Event:
Wealth Accelerator Live: The Strategy Room is a private, invitation-only 3-day intensive running April 17–19, 2026 at the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Resort (Chandler, Arizona).
This is for serious investors who want to move from “knowing the system” to executing it at a higher level—with focused coaching, real-time implementation, and a tighter process designed to remove friction, sharpen decisions, and scale confidently.
To keep the room small, candid, and high-trust, we’re capping attendance at 60 seats. When it’s full, registration closes—no replays, no overflow, no second round.
Spots are already moving quickly (we’re nearing the halfway mark). If this is the year you want cleaner execution and better results, I’d love to see you in the room.
