🌅 Morning Update – 24 February 2026 😬 The AI-driven “scare trade” is showing signs of cooling, but the latest US session was still ugly. The Dow sank 1.7% to 48,804, while the S&P 500 slid 1.0% to 6,837 and the Nasdaq fell 1.1% to 22,627 as investors continued to punish parts of tech on disruption fears and tariff uncertainty. 💻 Software names stayed under pressure: IBM tumbled about 11%–13% after fresh headlines around AI tools added fuel to the “AI winners vs AI losers” rotation. 🌏 Asia, however, leaned risk-on. Regional equities pushed higher, with South Korea up about 2% and Taiwan jumping roughly 2.7%, while the MSCI Asia Pacific Index added around 0.2%. Traders rotated into the “picks and shovels” of the AI supply chain – chipmakers and key hardware plays. 📈 US equity-index futures were modestly firmer (around +0.2%), and Europe was set for a steadier open – suggesting markets are trying to stabilise after Monday’s shock. 🛢 Oil remains supported by geopolitics and trade noise: Brent near $72.08 and WTI around $66.88. 🥇 Gold pulled back after a strong run, easing about 1.2% to ~$5,167/oz, while silver slipped roughly 0.9% to ~$87.29/oz as some haven demand cooled. ₿ bitcoin stayed under pressure, down roughly 2% and hovering around $62,900–63,000 after the recent sell-off. 🧠 In the background, AI geopolitics is heating up again: US officials say China’s DeepSeek trained a new model using Nvidia’s most advanced AI chip, despite export controls – a headline that could keep the sector volatile. 👉 Stay sharp today: watch sentiment in tech, any tariff headlines, and how quickly dip-buying shows up in US futures. Trade smart, manage risk, and have a profitable day! 🚀