US Market Retreats Amid US-Iran Tensions
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 19 2026
0mins
Should l Buy AKAM?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Market Retreat Reasons: The stock market retreated due to escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, causing investors to feel uneasy about the economic outlook, which led to declines in major indices and highlighted the market's sensitivity to geopolitical risks.
- GE Aero Leads New Buys: Despite the overall market weakness, GE Aero emerged as a standout for new buys, indicating strong performance in the aviation sector that may attract investors seeking safe havens, thereby enhancing its competitive position in the industry.
- Comfort Systems Earnings Volatility: Comfort Systems' earnings report drew significant market attention, and while specific figures were not disclosed, the volatility in its performance could impact investor confidence, reflecting the dynamics within the construction services sector.
- Grail Earnings Impact: Grail's earnings report became a focal point for the market, and although detailed data was not provided, the changes in its performance could significantly influence investor sentiment in the biotechnology sector, showcasing the high volatility and potential opportunities within the industry.
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Analyst Views on AKAM
Wall Street analysts forecast AKAM stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
6 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 99.900
Low
89.00
Averages
103.73
High
115.00
Current: 99.900
Low
89.00
Averages
103.73
High
115.00
About AKAM
Akamai Technologies, Inc. is a cybersecurity and cloud computing company. The Company develops and provides solutions for global enterprises to build, secure and accelerate their applications and digital experiences. Akamai Connected Cloud, the Company's platform, is comprised of an edge and cloud architecture and underlying network for cloud computing, security and content delivery services. Its cloud computing services include compute, storage, networking, database and container management services that are required to build, deploy and secure applications and workloads. Its security solutions are designed to keep infrastructure, websites, applications, application programming interfaces and users safe from a multitude of cyberattacks and online threats while improving performance. Its content delivery solutions consist of Web and mobile performance focused solutions and media delivery solutions. It also provides services and support for its customers as they utilize its solutions.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Iran Faces Severe Internet Blackout Amid Conflict
- Current Internet Blackout: Iran is experiencing a near-total internet blackout lasting over 48 hours amid ongoing conflict with the U.S. and Israel, with connectivity at just 1% of normal levels, severely impacting over 90 million citizens and highlighting the government's strict control over information flow.
- Historical Context: NetBlocks attributes this blackout to a 'regime-imposed' nationwide shutdown, reminiscent of a similar incident in January that lasted weeks and obscured severe human rights violations, indicating the government's tendency to employ such tactics during public protests to maintain control.
- Cyber Attack Threats: U.S. and Israeli cyberattacks have targeted Iranian internet infrastructure, with multiple government-aligned news websites hacked, and even the popular religious calendar app BadeSaba, with over 5 million downloads, compromised, indicating a psychological warfare strategy against the populace.
- Potential Cyber Retaliation: As Iran retaliates with strikes against U.S. and allied targets, analysts warn that Iranian-aligned groups may initiate cyber attacks, with CrowdStrike's head noting observed activities consistent with Iranian threat actors, suggesting that more aggressive cyber operations may be forthcoming.
See More
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- Market Decline: On Monday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 1.04%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.66%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index decreased by 1.21%, reflecting risk-off sentiment triggered by uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.
- Tariff Increase: President Trump signed an executive order raising global tariffs from 10% to 15%, a move that could curb global economic growth and negatively impact the stock market, particularly as it faces existing pressures.
- AI Risk Impact: A report from Citrini Research detailing potential risks of artificial intelligence on the global economy led to declines in software and payment stocks, with Datadog and Atlassian seeing drops of over 11% and 10%, respectively, indicating market concerns over tech stocks.
- Economic Data Highlights: Despite the stock market downturn, the U.S. January Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose by 0.39 to 0.18, surpassing expectations, suggesting that the economic fundamentals remain strong and may provide support for a future market rebound.
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- Partnerships: Nvidia is collaborating with leading cybersecurity firms including Akamai, Palo Alto Networks, Forescout, Xage Security, and Siemens to enhance operational technology (OT) cybersecurity through accelerated computing and AI.
- Real-Time Threat Detection: This initiative aims to advance real-time threat detection and response capabilities across critical infrastructure, thereby strengthening companies' defenses against cyberattacks and improving overall security.
- Market Reaction: Following the announcement, Nvidia's shares rose by 0.45%, indicating a positive market response to its new strategy, while Akamai's stock increased by 5%, reflecting investor optimism about the partnership's prospects.
- Industry Impact: This move not only enhances Nvidia's competitiveness in the cybersecurity sector but also has the potential to drive innovation and development in OT security technologies across the industry, aligning with the growing demand for cybersecurity solutions.
See More
US Stocks Plunge Sharply as Market Risk Sentiment Intensifies
- Market Downtrend: The S&P 500 index fell by 1.20%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.58%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 1.47%, reflecting a risk-off sentiment triggered by uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.
- Trade Policy Impact: President Trump signed an executive order raising global tariffs from 10% to 15%, a move that may curb global economic growth and exacerbate downward pressure on the markets.
- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Concerns over AI impacts led to a more than 9% drop in CrowdStrike and other software stocks, which not only affected the market capitalization of these companies but also negatively influenced overall market sentiment.
- Economic Data Performance: The U.S. January Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose by 0.39 to 0.18, exceeding expectations and indicating potential improvement in economic activity, yet the market remains cautious ahead of upcoming corporate earnings and economic data releases.
See More
Nvidia Partners with Major Firms to Enhance Industrial Cybersecurity
- Partnership Formation: Nvidia has partnered with Palo Alto Networks, Akamai, and others to deliver AI-powered cybersecurity solutions for operational technology and industrial control systems, representing a fundamental shift in embedding and distributing security across infrastructure.
- Security Integration: Siemens and Palo Alto Networks will embed security features into industrial automation systems running on Nvidia's BlueField data processing units, which accelerates data center tasks and enhances security, thereby improving overall operational efficiency.
- Zero-Trust Implementation: Akamai has extended its Guardicore platform to operate on Nvidia BlueField, enabling the isolation of applications, devices, or workloads into tightly controlled security zones while enforcing zero-trust policies directly at the edge, thereby enhancing network security flexibility.
- Energy Sector Protection: Xage Security collaborates with Nvidia to enhance cybersecurity for the energy sector, protecting about 60% of U.S. midstream pipeline infrastructure, ensuring the security of energy assets and the reliability of AI-driven operations, thus elevating the overall security landscape in the industry.
See More
Akamai and NVIDIA Launch New Security Solution to Combat Cyber Threats
- New Security Solution: Akamai's collaboration with NVIDIA introduces the Guardicore Segmentation software combined with BlueField DPU, providing an agentless security approach aimed at countering increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure.
- Zero Trust Architecture: By offloading security processes from host systems to the BlueField DPU, organizations can implement Zero Trust segmentation without impacting the performance of legacy or fragile systems, significantly reducing the risk of cyberattacks.
- Real-Time Monitoring Capability: The solution not only delivers deep visibility across systems, networks, and applications but also enforces security policies in real time, enhancing protection around critical operational systems and improving overall cyber resilience.
- Market Demand Response: In light of U.S. government assessments indicating that the energy and transportation sectors are primary targets for adversaries, this solution is expected to launch globally in Q2 2026, addressing the urgent market need for enhanced security.
See More
Iran Faces Severe Internet Blackout Amid Conflict
- Current Internet Blackout: Iran is experiencing a near-total internet blackout lasting over 48 hours amid ongoing conflict with the U.S. and Israel, with connectivity at just 1% of normal levels, severely impacting over 90 million citizens and highlighting the government's strict control over information flow.
- Historical Context: NetBlocks attributes this blackout to a 'regime-imposed' nationwide shutdown, reminiscent of a similar incident in January that lasted weeks and obscured severe human rights violations, indicating the government's tendency to employ such tactics during public protests to maintain control.
- Cyber Attack Threats: U.S. and Israeli cyberattacks have targeted Iranian internet infrastructure, with multiple government-aligned news websites hacked, and even the popular religious calendar app BadeSaba, with over 5 million downloads, compromised, indicating a psychological warfare strategy against the populace.
- Potential Cyber Retaliation: As Iran retaliates with strikes against U.S. and allied targets, analysts warn that Iranian-aligned groups may initiate cyber attacks, with CrowdStrike's head noting observed activities consistent with Iranian threat actors, suggesting that more aggressive cyber operations may be forthcoming.
See More
US Stocks Plunge as Trade Policy Concerns Emerge
- Market Decline: On Monday, the S&P 500 Index fell by 1.04%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.66%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index decreased by 1.21%, reflecting risk-off sentiment triggered by uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.
- Tariff Increase: President Trump signed an executive order raising global tariffs from 10% to 15%, a move that could curb global economic growth and negatively impact the stock market, particularly as it faces existing pressures.
- AI Risk Impact: A report from Citrini Research detailing potential risks of artificial intelligence on the global economy led to declines in software and payment stocks, with Datadog and Atlassian seeing drops of over 11% and 10%, respectively, indicating market concerns over tech stocks.
- Economic Data Highlights: Despite the stock market downturn, the U.S. January Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose by 0.39 to 0.18, surpassing expectations, suggesting that the economic fundamentals remain strong and may provide support for a future market rebound.
See More
Nvidia Advances OT Cybersecurity with AI and Accelerated Computing
- Partnerships: Nvidia is collaborating with leading cybersecurity firms including Akamai, Palo Alto Networks, Forescout, Xage Security, and Siemens to enhance operational technology (OT) cybersecurity through accelerated computing and AI.
- Real-Time Threat Detection: This initiative aims to advance real-time threat detection and response capabilities across critical infrastructure, thereby strengthening companies' defenses against cyberattacks and improving overall security.
- Market Reaction: Following the announcement, Nvidia's shares rose by 0.45%, indicating a positive market response to its new strategy, while Akamai's stock increased by 5%, reflecting investor optimism about the partnership's prospects.
- Industry Impact: This move not only enhances Nvidia's competitiveness in the cybersecurity sector but also has the potential to drive innovation and development in OT security technologies across the industry, aligning with the growing demand for cybersecurity solutions.
See More
US Stocks Plunge Sharply as Market Risk Sentiment Intensifies
- Market Downtrend: The S&P 500 index fell by 1.20%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.58%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 1.47%, reflecting a risk-off sentiment triggered by uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.
- Trade Policy Impact: President Trump signed an executive order raising global tariffs from 10% to 15%, a move that may curb global economic growth and exacerbate downward pressure on the markets.
- Software Stocks Under Pressure: Concerns over AI impacts led to a more than 9% drop in CrowdStrike and other software stocks, which not only affected the market capitalization of these companies but also negatively influenced overall market sentiment.
- Economic Data Performance: The U.S. January Chicago Fed National Activity Index rose by 0.39 to 0.18, exceeding expectations and indicating potential improvement in economic activity, yet the market remains cautious ahead of upcoming corporate earnings and economic data releases.
See More
Nvidia Partners with Major Firms to Enhance Industrial Cybersecurity
- Partnership Formation: Nvidia has partnered with Palo Alto Networks, Akamai, and others to deliver AI-powered cybersecurity solutions for operational technology and industrial control systems, representing a fundamental shift in embedding and distributing security across infrastructure.
- Security Integration: Siemens and Palo Alto Networks will embed security features into industrial automation systems running on Nvidia's BlueField data processing units, which accelerates data center tasks and enhances security, thereby improving overall operational efficiency.
- Zero-Trust Implementation: Akamai has extended its Guardicore platform to operate on Nvidia BlueField, enabling the isolation of applications, devices, or workloads into tightly controlled security zones while enforcing zero-trust policies directly at the edge, thereby enhancing network security flexibility.
- Energy Sector Protection: Xage Security collaborates with Nvidia to enhance cybersecurity for the energy sector, protecting about 60% of U.S. midstream pipeline infrastructure, ensuring the security of energy assets and the reliability of AI-driven operations, thus elevating the overall security landscape in the industry.
See More
Akamai and NVIDIA Launch New Security Solution to Combat Cyber Threats
- New Security Solution: Akamai's collaboration with NVIDIA introduces the Guardicore Segmentation software combined with BlueField DPU, providing an agentless security approach aimed at countering increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and ensuring the safety of critical infrastructure.
- Zero Trust Architecture: By offloading security processes from host systems to the BlueField DPU, organizations can implement Zero Trust segmentation without impacting the performance of legacy or fragile systems, significantly reducing the risk of cyberattacks.
- Real-Time Monitoring Capability: The solution not only delivers deep visibility across systems, networks, and applications but also enforces security policies in real time, enhancing protection around critical operational systems and improving overall cyber resilience.
- Market Demand Response: In light of U.S. government assessments indicating that the energy and transportation sectors are primary targets for adversaries, this solution is expected to launch globally in Q2 2026, addressing the urgent market need for enhanced security.
See More
