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S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

The S&P 500 ($SPX) just logged its fifth straight trading box breakout, which means that, of the five trading ranges the index has experienced since the April lows, all have been resolved to the upside.

How much longer can this last? That’s been the biggest question since the massive April 9 rally. Instead of assuming the market is due to roll over, it’s been more productive to track price action and watch for potential changes along the way. So far, drawdowns have been minimal, and breakouts keep occurring. Nothing in the price action hints at a lasting change — yet.

While some are calling this rally “historic,” we have a recent precedent. Recall that from late 2023 through early 2024, the index had a strong start and gave way to a consistent, steady trend.

From late October 2023 through March 2024, the S&P 500 logged seven consecutive trading box breakouts. That streak finally paused with a pullback from late March to early April, which, as we now know, was only a temporary hiccup. Once the bid returned, the S&P 500 went right back to carving new boxes and climbing higher.

New 52-Week Highs Finally Picking Up

If there’s been one gripe about this rally, it’s that the number of new highs within the index has lagged. As we’ve discussed before, among all the internal breadth indicators available, new highs almost always lag — that’s normal. What we really want to see is whether the number of new highs begins to exceed prior peaks as the market continues to rise, which it has, as shown by the blue line in the chart below.

As of Wednesday’s close, 100 S&P 500 stocks were either at new 52-week highs or within 3% of them. That’s a strong base. We expect this number to continue rising as the market climbs, especially if positive earnings reactions persist across sectors.

Even when we get that first day with 100+ S&P 500 stocks making new 52-week highs, though, it might not be the best time to initiate new longs.

The above chart shows that much needs to align for that many stocks to peak in unison, which has historically led to at least a short-term consolidation, if not deeper pullbacks — as highlighted in yellow. Every time is different, of course, but this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Trend Check: GoNoGo Still “Go”

The GoNoGo Trend remains in bullish mode, with the recent countertrend signals having yet to trigger a greater pullback.

Active Bullish Patterns

We still have two live bullish upside targets of 6,555 and 6,745, which could be with us for a while going forward. For the S&P 500 to get there, it will need to form new, smaller versions of the trading boxes.

Failed Bearish Patterns

In the chart below, you can view a rising wedge pattern on the recent price action, the third since April. The prior two wedges broke down briefly and did not lead to a major downturn. The largest pullbacks in each case occurred after the S&P 500 dipped below the lower trendline of the pattern.

The deepest drawdown so far is 3.5%, which is not exactly a game-changer. Without downside follow-through, a classic bearish pattern simply can’t be formed, let alone be broken down from.

We’ll continue to monitor these formations as they develop because, at some point, that will change.

Editor’s Picks: Gold, Silver Prices Dip and Bounce Back, Plus Top Takeover Candidate

Gold and silver were having a fairly quiet week until Thursday (February 12), when both precious metals experienced steep drops early in the day.

The gold price, which had been steady above US$5,000 per ounce, and even briefly breached US$5,100, tumbled by over US$100, bottoming out around US$4,900.

Meanwhile, silver sank from above US$80 per ounce to below US$75.

Market watchers have presented various reasons for these declines, with a mainstream talking point being that the precious metals were moving in line with the broader stock market.

Thursday brought declines in major US indexes as investors reportedly reacted to concerns that various industries could be negatively impacted by AI automation.

Of course, with gold and silver it’s always possible that there’s more going on beneath the surface. Many of our popular YouTube channel guests reacted to this week’s price drop on X, with some, including Willem Middelkoop and Craig Hemke, suggesting manipulation was at play.

I’ve also read that a Russian memo seen by Bloomberg may have had a dampening effect on gold — the report details proposals sent by the Kremlin that could see the country return to the US dollar settlement system as part of an economic partnership with the Trump administration.

Whatever the reason for the decrease was, gold and silver had bounced back by Friday (February 13), with silver getting back above US$77 and gold closing at the US$5,043 level.

The rebound came despite slightly cooler than expected US consumer price index data, which eased inflation concerns and boosted interest rate cut expectations from the US Federal Reserve.

Looking forward, I want to emphasize again that the broad consensus among the experts I’ve been speaking to continues to be that the run in gold and silver prices isn’t over.

However, that doesn’t mean the path will be straight up. I heard this week from Keith Weiner of Monetary Metals, who spoke about the importance of weathering volatility:

‘I mean, we’re in dollar bear market for reasons. And so people better be prepared for the volatility, because as things go off the rails, which is what’s happening to the dollar, yeah, there’s volatility. And there’s days when people can’t sell the dollar enough, and there’s days when they’re desperately, urgently trying to grab as many fistfuls of dollars as they can, and the dollar is extremely well bid — you’ll see that as the price of gold falling. So you’re going to get it both ways, but the trend is clear and the drivers are clear.’

Keith is calling for US$6,000 gold in 2026 and a silver price of US$120 by the end of the year. The US$6,000 number is in line with recent projections from BNP Paribas and CIBC, whose forecasts indicate that major banks also still see strength in gold.

Bullet briefing — Top takeover candidates

Merger talks between commodities giants Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) and Glencore (LSE:GLEN,OTCPL:GLCNF) have fallen through, nixing what would have been the mining industry’s biggest-ever deal, but M&A activity in the space continues to heat up.

A new survey from TD Cowen identifies IAMGOLD (TSX:IMG,NYSE:IAG) as the year’s top takeover candidate, with close to 20 percent of the 58 respondents pointing to the company.

Artemis Gold (TSXV:ARTG,OTCQX:ARGTF) was in second place at 11 percent, while Arizona Sonoran Copper Company (TSX:ASCU,OTCQX:ASCUF) was third at 7 percent.

Almost all of the respondents, who included institutional investors and mining executives, said they expect to see more gold, silver and copper M&A in 2026 compared to last year.

We’ll have to wait and see how any potential deals play out, including Barrick Mining’s (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) planned initial public offering for its North American gold assets.

Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM), Barrick’s partner at the Nevada Gold Mines joint venture, said it is concerned about the management of the operation, and wants to see improvements — a clash between the two miners could end up disrupting Barrick’s plans.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Justice Department’s antitrust chief says she’s leaving, effective immediately

The head of the Justice Department’s antitrust unit said Thursday she is leaving the role, effective immediately, at a critical moment for corporate mergers in America.

Gail Slater, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Antitrust Division, wrote on X: ‘It is with great sadness and abiding hope that I leave my role as AAG for Antitrust today.’

Slater continued, ‘It was indeed the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role. Huge thanks to all who supported me this past year, most especially the men and women of’ the Department.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement, “On behalf of the Department of Justice, we thank Gail Slater for her service to the Antitrust Division which works to protect consumers, promote affordability, and expand economic opportunity.”

Slater is leaving just as media giants Netflix and Paramount Skydance battle for control of Warner Bros. Discovery.

President Donald Trump had said he was going to get involved in reviewing whichever Warner Bros. deal proceeds, an uncommon occurrence in antitrust matters.

But in an interview with NBC News, Trump slightly changed his tune. ‘I’ve been called by both sides, it’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved,’ he said.

‘The Justice Department will handle it.’

Trump has met with executives from both of Warner Bros.’ bidders.

The Justice Department will also head to court in weeks in a bid to challenge concert venue manager Live Nation’s ownership of Ticketmaster.

Shares of Live Nation jumped as much as 5.8% after Slater announced her departure. By 1 p.m. ET, the rally had abated to around 2.5%.

When the Senate confirmed Slater, 78 senators from both sides of the aisle voted in her favor. Only 19 opposed her confirmation.

This week, her deputy in the Antitrust Division also departed.

Mark Hamer, deputy assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division, wrote on LinkedIn, ‘Decided the time is right for me to return to private practice.’ He praised Slater as a ‘leader of exceptional wisdom, strength and integrity.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

The S&P 500 ($SPX) just logged its fifth straight trading box breakout, which means that, of the five trading ranges the index has experienced since the April lows, all have been resolved to the upside.

How much longer can this last? That’s been the biggest question since the massive April 9 rally. Instead of assuming the market is due to roll over, it’s been more productive to track price action and watch for potential changes along the way. So far, drawdowns have been minimal, and breakouts keep occurring. Nothing in the price action hints at a lasting change — yet.

While some are calling this rally “historic,” we have a recent precedent. Recall that from late 2023 through early 2024, the index had a strong start and gave way to a consistent, steady trend.

From late October 2023 through March 2024, the S&P 500 logged seven consecutive trading box breakouts. That streak finally paused with a pullback from late March to early April, which, as we now know, was only a temporary hiccup. Once the bid returned, the S&P 500 went right back to carving new boxes and climbing higher.

New 52-Week Highs Finally Picking Up

If there’s been one gripe about this rally, it’s that the number of new highs within the index has lagged. As we’ve discussed before, among all the internal breadth indicators available, new highs almost always lag — that’s normal. What we really want to see is whether the number of new highs begins to exceed prior peaks as the market continues to rise, which it has, as shown by the blue line in the chart below.

As of Wednesday’s close, 100 S&P 500 stocks were either at new 52-week highs or within 3% of them. That’s a strong base. We expect this number to continue rising as the market climbs, especially if positive earnings reactions persist across sectors.

Even when we get that first day with 100+ S&P 500 stocks making new 52-week highs, though, it might not be the best time to initiate new longs.

The above chart shows that much needs to align for that many stocks to peak in unison, which has historically led to at least a short-term consolidation, if not deeper pullbacks — as highlighted in yellow. Every time is different, of course, but this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Trend Check: GoNoGo Still “Go”

The GoNoGo Trend remains in bullish mode, with the recent countertrend signals having yet to trigger a greater pullback.

Active Bullish Patterns

We still have two live bullish upside targets of 6,555 and 6,745, which could be with us for a while going forward. For the S&P 500 to get there, it will need to form new, smaller versions of the trading boxes.

Failed Bearish Patterns

In the chart below, you can view a rising wedge pattern on the recent price action, the third since April. The prior two wedges broke down briefly and did not lead to a major downturn. The largest pullbacks in each case occurred after the S&P 500 dipped below the lower trendline of the pattern.

The deepest drawdown so far is 3.5%, which is not exactly a game-changer. Without downside follow-through, a classic bearish pattern simply can’t be formed, let alone be broken down from.

We’ll continue to monitor these formations as they develop because, at some point, that will change.

Tech Weekly: AI “Scare Trade” Spills into New Sectors

We also break down next week’s catalysts to watch to help you prepare for the week ahead.

In this article:

    This week’s tech sector performance

    The Nasdaq Composite (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC) ended in the green on Monday (February 9) despite a weaker open.

    A rally in tech companies drove US stocks higher ahead of an economic data release, while Asian indexes also rose, led upward by Japan’s tech‑heavy Nikkei 225 (INDEXNIKKEI:NI225).

    It hit new record highs after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party secured a landslide victory in the Lower House, clearing the path for tax cuts and higher defense spending.

    Tax planning and wealth management stocks fell on Tuesday (February 10) after financial software provider Altruist unveiled an artificial intelligence (AI) tool for creating tax strategies, echoing last week’s selloff in legal software stocks following the debut of a lawyer-focused AI platform.

    Broader tech‑driven weakness and softer‑than‑expected retail‑sales data dragged the Nasdaq down in Tuesday’s session. The index rose again on Wednesday (February 11) after January data showed labor market stability, potentially allowing the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates steady as it monitors inflation.

    Software stocks resumed their slide, with Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) at one point down more than 2 percent, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) falling over 2.5 percent and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) slipping about 1 percent.

    Personal computer makers also fell after Lenovo Group (HKEX:0992,OTCPL:LNVGF) warned of shipment pressure from a memory chip shortage. HP (NYSE:HPQ) and Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) each lost about 4.5 percent.

    After a muted close, investors turned their AI disruption fears to yet another corner of the market on Thursday (February 12). This time, it was logistics and trucking stocks, which plummeted after AI logistics firm Algorhythm Holdings (NASDAQ:RIME) said it has scaled freight volumes by 300 to 400 percent without increasing headcount.

    This event showed traders that AI is now affecting sectors previously thought to be resistant to automation and AI‑driven efficiency gains, leading to selloffs that also spilled into real estate and drug distribution.

    All three major indexes closed lower, with the Nasdaq hit hardest.

    A softer-than-expected US consumer price index report released on Friday (February 13) morning reinforced beliefs that the Fed is likely to cut interest rates this year, while global concerns about potential AI-driven disruptions kept investors cautious. European and Asian indexes lost ground, tracking Wall Street’s losses.

    While the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) closed slightly ahead on the day, mega-cap tech stocks dragged on the Nasdaq, which closed the week 1.77 percent below Monday’s open.

    3 tech stocks moving markets this week

    1.Cloudflare (NYSE:NET)

    Cybersecurity firm Cloudflare saw its share price surge after its sales guidance for the current quarter exceeded expectations. Shares closed 13.07 percent higher for the week.

    2. Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT)

    Applied Materials, a provider of materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor sector, saw its share price rise sharply after reporting better-than-forecast quarterly financial results. Shares advanced 10.05 percent.

    3. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE:TSM)

    Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company rose after D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria gave it a ‘buy’ rating with a US$450 price target and called it a top AI foundry name. Shares advanced 5.02 percent.

    Cloudflare, TSMC and Applied Materials performance, February 9 to 13, 2026.

    Chart via Google Finance.

    Top tech news of the week

        • Alphabet completed two bond sales this week, raising a combined total of nearly US$52 billion. On Monday, the company sold US$20 billion in US dollars, followed by a nearly US$32 billion multi‑currency bond sale in British pounds and Swiss francs completed within 24 hours on Tuesday.

                                    Tech ETF performance

                                    Tech exchange-traded funds (ETFs) track baskets of major tech stocks, meaning their performance helps investors gauge the overall performance of the niches they cover.

                                    This week, the iShares Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXX) advanced by 2.56 percent, while the Invesco PHLX Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SOXQ) advanced by 1.89 percent.

                                    The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (NASDAQ:SMH) also increased by 2.19 percent.

                                    Tech news to watch next week

                                    Tech stocks face a quieter earnings backdrop next week, with no mega‑cap AI giants reporting; instead, the sector will be trading on macro cues and any guidance hints from mid‑tier semis and software names.

                                    Key US data includes jobs‑related releases and consumer confidence surveys.

                                    Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

                                    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

                                    Crypto Market Update: Coinbase Posts US$667 Million Q4 Loss

                                    Here’s a quick recap of the crypto landscape for Friday (February 13) as of 9:00 p.m. UTC.

                                    Get the latest insights on Bitcoin, Ether and altcoins, along with a round-up of key cryptocurrency market news.

                                    Bitcoin (BTC) was priced at US$68,987.01, up 5.2 percent over the last 24 hours.

                                    Bitcoin price performance, February 13, 2026.

                                    Chart via TradingView.

                                    A constructive scenario over the next three to six months depends on gradual improvement in global liquidity, moderation in yields and steady exchange-traded fund (ETF) inflows.

                                    According to Tran, if financial conditions tighten or additional liquidity stress occurs, the market may need another washout to rebalance leverage. Ultimately, the return of confidence, reflected through durable and sustainable capital inflows, is what matters most for the transitional phase.

                                    Ether (ETH) was priced at US$2,054.76, up by 7 percent over the last 24 hours.

                                    Altcoin price update

                                    • XRP (XRP) was priced at US$1.41, up by 4.7 percent over 24 hours.
                                    • Solana (SOL) was trading at US$85.01, up by 10.2 percent over 24 hours.

                                    Today’s crypto news to know

                                    Coinbase posts US$667 million Q4 loss

                                    Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) reported a fourth quarter net loss of US$667 million as falling crypto prices weighed on its revenue and the value of its investment portfolio. The company’s revenue came in at US$1.78 billion, below analysts’ expectations, making a 22 percent decline from a year earlier.

                                    The firm attributed much of the loss to a US$718 million drop in portfolio value, largely unrealized, alongside weaker transaction activity. Shares slid ahead of the release and have fallen more than 55 percent over the past six months as cryptocurrencies retreated. Despite the surprise slide, CEO Brian Armstrong sought to reassure investors, saying the firm remains “deliberately well capitalized” with US$11.3 billion in cash and equivalents.

                                    He added that retail customers are largely holding rather than selling, even as volatility persists.

                                    Bitcoin ETFs lose US$410 million

                                    Spot Bitcoin ETFs saw US$410 million in outflows on Thursday (February 12), extending a rocky stretch that has drained nearly US$1.5 billion over two weeks.

                                    The iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (NASDAQ:IBIT) led the pullback, followed by Fidelity and Grayscale products, as institutional investors recalibrated positions amid macro uncertainty.

                                    Treasury chief pushes CLARITY Act as crypto selloff deepens

                                    US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent urged Congress to pass the Digital Asset Market CLARITY Act this spring, arguing that it will provide stability to markets rattled by volatility.

                                    Speaking on CNBC and later before the Senate Banking Committee, Bessent said the bill will give “great comfort to the market,” and warned that parts of the crypto industry are resisting what he called “very good regulation.”

                                    “There seems to be a nihilist group in the industry who prefers no regulation over this very good regulation,” he told lawmakers, drawing support from Senator Mark Warner.

                                    The legislation has stalled amid disputes over stablecoin yield, DeFi oversight and token classifications, with critics — including Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong — raising objections. Bessent cautioned that a bipartisan coalition backing the bill could fracture if Democrats retake the House in November. Warner, meanwhile, stressed unresolved concerns around illicit finance and national security risks tied to DeFi.

                                    HIVE’s BUZZ HPC platform secures US$30 million in AI cloud contracts

                                    BUZZ High Performance Computing (HPC), a Hive Digital Technologies (TSXV:HIVE,NASDAQ:HIVE) platform, announced that it has signed customer agreements valued at approximately US$30 million over two year fixed terms for artificial intelligence (AI) cloud contracts. The new contracts will support the initial phase of BUZZ’s AI-optimized GPU deployment at its Canada West location in Manitoba, with compute capacity expected to be online during the quarter ending on March 31, 2026. This phase consists of 504 liquid-cooled Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) server-based GPUs.

                                    This initial phase is expected to generate about US$15 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) to BUZZ’s cloud business once fully operational, increasing HIVE’s total annualized HPC segment revenue to roughly US$35 million.

                                    HIVE said it aims to scale its HPC GPU AI cloud business toward approximately US$140 million in ARR over the next year. The company is using vendor financing and strategic partnerships to scale efficiently and pursue a “dual-engine strategy” of hashrate services and GPU-accelerated AI computing across its facilities in Canada, Sweden and Paraguay.

                                    Taurus and Blockdaemon partner to expand institutional staking

                                    Taurus, a Swiss fintech firm that provides digital asset infrastructure for banks and financial institutions, announced an agreement with blockchain infrastructure company Blockdaemon that will allow banks to offer staking yields to their clients without having to move those assets out of tightly controlled, regulated custody.

                                    Taurus will integrate Blockdaemon’s staking infrastructure into its custody product, Taurus‑PROTECT, which is designed to keep digital assets safe inside banks’ own systems under financial regulator rules.

                                    Taurus also has an agreement to provide digital asset custody, tokenization and node management technology that State Street uses to power its full‑service digital asset platform for institutional investors. Additionally, BNY Mellon (NYSE:BK) is broadening its digita asset platforms by partnering with infrastructure providers, including Blockdaemon.

                                    Securities Disclosure: I, Meagen Seatter, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

                                    Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

                                    This post appeared first on investingnews.com

                                    S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

                                    The S&P 500 ($SPX) just logged its fifth straight trading box breakout, which means that, of the five trading ranges the index has experienced since the April lows, all have been resolved to the upside.

                                    How much longer can this last? That’s been the biggest question since the massive April 9 rally. Instead of assuming the market is due to roll over, it’s been more productive to track price action and watch for potential changes along the way. So far, drawdowns have been minimal, and breakouts keep occurring. Nothing in the price action hints at a lasting change — yet.

                                    While some are calling this rally “historic,” we have a recent precedent. Recall that from late 2023 through early 2024, the index had a strong start and gave way to a consistent, steady trend.

                                    From late October 2023 through March 2024, the S&P 500 logged seven consecutive trading box breakouts. That streak finally paused with a pullback from late March to early April, which, as we now know, was only a temporary hiccup. Once the bid returned, the S&P 500 went right back to carving new boxes and climbing higher.

                                    New 52-Week Highs Finally Picking Up

                                    If there’s been one gripe about this rally, it’s that the number of new highs within the index has lagged. As we’ve discussed before, among all the internal breadth indicators available, new highs almost always lag — that’s normal. What we really want to see is whether the number of new highs begins to exceed prior peaks as the market continues to rise, which it has, as shown by the blue line in the chart below.

                                    As of Wednesday’s close, 100 S&P 500 stocks were either at new 52-week highs or within 3% of them. That’s a strong base. We expect this number to continue rising as the market climbs, especially if positive earnings reactions persist across sectors.

                                    Even when we get that first day with 100+ S&P 500 stocks making new 52-week highs, though, it might not be the best time to initiate new longs.

                                    The above chart shows that much needs to align for that many stocks to peak in unison, which has historically led to at least a short-term consolidation, if not deeper pullbacks — as highlighted in yellow. Every time is different, of course, but this is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

                                    Trend Check: GoNoGo Still “Go”

                                    The GoNoGo Trend remains in bullish mode, with the recent countertrend signals having yet to trigger a greater pullback.

                                    Active Bullish Patterns

                                    We still have two live bullish upside targets of 6,555 and 6,745, which could be with us for a while going forward. For the S&P 500 to get there, it will need to form new, smaller versions of the trading boxes.

                                    Failed Bearish Patterns

                                    In the chart below, you can view a rising wedge pattern on the recent price action, the third since April. The prior two wedges broke down briefly and did not lead to a major downturn. The largest pullbacks in each case occurred after the S&P 500 dipped below the lower trendline of the pattern.

                                    The deepest drawdown so far is 3.5%, which is not exactly a game-changer. Without downside follow-through, a classic bearish pattern simply can’t be formed, let alone be broken down from.

                                    We’ll continue to monitor these formations as they develop because, at some point, that will change.

                                    Copper Quest Announces Securities for Debt Settlement

                                    Copper Quest Exploration Inc. (CSE: CQX,OTC:IMIMF; OTCQB: IMIMF; FRA: 3MX) (‘Copper Quest’ or the ‘Company’) announces that it has entered into a securities for debt settlement agreement dated February 11, 2026 (the ‘Agreement’) with a professional advisor of the Company.

                                    Pursuant to the Agreement, the Company has agreed to settle debt in the amount of $113,405.28 through the issuance of 872,348 units (each, a ‘Unit‘) at a deemed price of $0.13 per Unit, whereby each Unit shall be comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a ‘Share‘) and one (1) Share purchase warrant (each whole, being a ‘Warrant‘). Each Warrant will be convertible into an additional Share (a ‘Warrant Share‘) at an exercise price of $0.165 per Warrant Share and will expire on the date that is two (2) years following the date of issuance (the ‘Expiry Date‘). The Expiry Date shall be subject to acceleration should the closing price of the Shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (or any such other stock exchange in Canada as the Shares may trade at the applicable time) equal or exceed $0.50 for ten (10) consecutive trading days at any time from the date which is 4 months following their date of issue, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants such that the Warrants shall expire on the date which is 30 calendar days following the date a news release is issued by the Company announcing the accelerated expiry date of the Warrants.

                                    The Agreement and the issuance of the securities thereunder are subject to the approval of the CSE. The securities will be subject to a hold period of four months and one day pursuant to CSE policies and applicable securities laws.

                                    About Copper Quest

                                    The company’s land holdings comprise 7 projects that span over 45,000 hectares in great mining jurisdictions of Canada and the USA. Copper Quest is committed to building shareholder value through acquisitions, discovery-driven exploration, and responsible development of its North American critical mineral portfolio of assets. The Company’s common shares are principally listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘CQX’. For more information on Copper Quest, please visit the Company’s website at www.copper.quest.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the past-producing Alpine Gold Mine located approximately 20 kilometers northeast of the City of Nelson British Columbia, spanning 4,611.49 hectares with a 2018 National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects historical inferred resource of 268,000 tonnes, estimated using a cut-off grade of 5.0 g/t Au and an average grade of 16.52 g/t Au, that represents an inferred resource of 142,000 oz of gold (McCuaig & Giroux, 2018)*. Apart from the Alpine Mine itself the property hosts 4 other less explored significant vein systems including the past-producing King Solomon vein workings, the Black Prince and the Cold Blow veins system, and the Gold Crown vein system. *The Company has not yet completed sufficient work to verify the 2018 historic inferred resource results.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stars Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Property, spanning 9,693 hectares in central British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt with Tana Zone discovery drill intersection highlights of 0.466% Cu over 195.07m* in drill hole DD18SS004 from 23.47m, 0.200% Cu over 396.67m* in drill hole DD18SS010 from 29.37m, and 0.205% Cu over 207.27m* in drill hole DD18SS015 from 163.98m. This highly prospective, approximately 5 X 2.5 kilometer annular magnetic anomaly is interpreted to represent an altered monzonite intrusion and surrounding hornfels.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Kitimat Copper-Gold Property, spanning 2,954 hectares within the Skeena Mining Division of northwestern British Columbia located northwest of the deep-water port community of Kitimat, British Columbia. The property benefits from exceptional infrastructure, being within 10 km of tidewater, 1.5 km of rail, and 6 km of high-voltage hydroelectric transmission lines. Exploration on the Kitimat property dates to the late 1960s, with the most significant historical work conducted by Decade Resources Ltd. (2010), which completed 16 diamond drill holes totaling 4,437.5 meters in the Jeannette Cu-Au Zone, and drill intersection highlights of 1.03 g/t Au, 0.54% Cu over 117.07 m in Hole J-7 from 1.52 m, 1.00 g/t Au, 0.55% Cu over 103.65m in Hole J-1 from 9.15 m, 0.80 g/t Au, 0.45% Cu over 107.01m in Hole J-2 from 6.10 m, and 0.41 g/t Au, 0.33% Cu over 112.20m in Hole J-8 from 11.89 m.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Nekash Copper-Gold Project, a porphyry exploration opportunity located in Lemhi County, Idaho, USA, along the prolific Idaho-Montana porphyry copper belt that hosts world-class systems such as Butte and CUMO. The project is fully road-accessible via maintained U.S. highways and forest service roads and consists of 70 unpatented federal lode claims covering 585 hectares.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the road accessible Stellar Property, spanning 5,389-hectares in British Columbia’s Bulkley Porphyry Belt contiguous to the Stars Property.

                                    Copper Quest has a 100% interest in the Thane Project located in the Quesnel Terrane of Northern British Columbia spanning over 20,658 hectares with 10 priority targets identified demonstrating significant copper and precious metal mineralization potential.

                                    Copper Quest has an earn-in option of up to 80% and joint-venture agreement on the road accessible Rip Porphyry Copper-Molybdenum Project, spanning 4,700-hectares located in the Bulkley Porphyry Belt in central British Columbia.

                                    On behalf of the Board of Copper Quest Exploration Inc.

                                    Brian Thurston, P.Geo.
                                    Chief Executive Officer and Director
                                    Tel: 778-949-1829

                                    For further information contact:
                                    Investor Relations
                                    info@copper.quest

                                    https://x.com/CSECQX
                                    https://ca.linkedin.com/company/copper-quest

                                    Forward Looking Information

                                    This news release contains certain ‘forward-looking information’ and ‘forward-looking statements’ (collectively, ‘forward-looking statements‘) within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein, including without limitation, future operations and activities of Copper Quest, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘potential’, ‘possible’, and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results ‘will’, ‘may’, ‘could’, or ‘should’ occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, risks associated with possible accidents and other risks associated with mineral exploration operations, the risk that the Company will encounter unanticipated geological factors, risks associated with the interpretation of exploration results, the possibility that the Company may not be able to secure permitting and other governmental clearances necessary to carry out the Company’s exploration plans, the risk that the Company will not be able to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plans, and the risk of political uncertainties and regulatory or legal changes that might interfere with the Company’s business and prospects. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.

                                    The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

                                    News Provided by GlobeNewswire via QuoteMedia

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                                    RUA GOLD Announces Uplisting to Toronto Stock Exchange

                                    Rua Gold INC. (TSXV: RUA,OTC:NZAUF) (OTCQB: NZAUF) (‘Rua Gold’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that the Company will be uplisting to the Toronto Stock Exchange (the ‘TSX’). The common shares of the Company (the ‘Common Shares’) will be voluntarily delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange effective as of close of market on Friday, February 13, 2026, and will commence trading on the TSX effective at the opening of the market on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 under its current ticker symbol, ‘RUA’.

                                    Robert Eckford, CEO of Rua Gold, commented: ‘Graduating to the TSX is a significant milestone for Rua Gold. The uplisting will enhance our visibility in the capital markets and enable us to continue to attract key institutional and retail investors as we continue to develop the Reefton Project and Glamorgan Project in New Zealand.’

                                    Rua Gold will continue to remain a ‘reporting issuer’ under applicable Canadian securities laws, and the Common Shares will also remain listed on the OTCQB under the symbol ‘NZAUF’. Shareholders are not required to take any action in connection with the TSX uplisting.

                                    About Rua Gold

                                    Rua Gold is an exploration company, strategically focused on New Zealand. With decades of expertise, their team has successfully taken major discoveries into producing world-class mines across multiple continents. The team is focused on maximizing the asset potential of Rua Gold’s two highly prospective high-grade gold projects.

                                    The Company controls the Reefton Gold District as the dominant landholder in the Reefton Goldfield on New Zealand’s South Island with over 120,000 hectares of tenements, in a district that historically produced over 2Moz of gold grading between 9 and 50g/t.

                                    The Company’s Glamorgan Project solidifies Rua Gold’s position as a leading high-grade gold explorer on New Zealand’s North Island. This highly prospective project is located within the North Islands’ Hauraki district, a region that has produced an impressive 15Moz of gold and 60Moz of silver. Glamorgan is adjacent to OceanaGold Corporation’s biggest gold mining project, Wharekirauponga.

                                    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
                                    Robert Eckford
                                    Phone: (604) 655-7354
                                    Email: reckford@ruagold.com

                                    Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

                                    Forward-Looking Information

                                    This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed ‘forward-looking statements’. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words ‘expects’, ‘plans’, ‘anticipates’, ‘believes’, ‘intends’, ‘estimates’, ‘projects’, ‘potential’ and similar expressions, or that events or conditions ‘will’, ‘would’, ‘may’, ‘could’ or ‘should’ occur and specifically include statements regarding: the Company’s strategies, expectations, planned operations or future actions including but not limited to exploration programs at its New Zealand properties; the intended listing date on the TSX and the delisting date on the TSX Venture Exchange. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

                                    Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties; risks related to the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war; risks related to climate change; operational risks in exploration, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration projects or capital expenditures; the actual results of current exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; changes in labour costs and other costs and expenses or equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, including but not limited to environmental hazards, flooding or unfavorable operating conditions and losses, insurrection or war, delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing, and commodity prices. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company’s forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company’s documents filed under its SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca for a description of additional risk factors.

                                    Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

                                    To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/283786

                                    News Provided by TMX Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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                                    Cardi B’s cameo in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show leads to dispute on prediction markets

                                    CHICAGO — Cardi B was part of Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show. What she did exactly, well, that turned into a perplexing question for two major prediction markets.

                                    At least one Kalshi trader filed a complaint with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission over how the prediction market handled Sunday’s appearance by the Grammy-winning rapper. The result of a similar event contract on Polymarket also drew the ire of some users on that platform.

                                    Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events. The markets are comprised of typically yes-or-no questions called event contracts, with the prices connected to what traders are willing to pay, which theoretically indicates the perceived probability of an event occurring.

                                    The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1 each, reflecting a 0% to 100% chance of what traders think could happen.

                                    More than $47.3 million was wagered on Kalshi’s market for “ Who will perform at the Big Game? ” A Polymarket contract had more than $10 million in volume.

                                    Celebrities including Pedro Pascal, Karol G and Cardi B during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday.Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Roc Nation

                                    Cardi B joined singers Karol G and Young Miko and actors Jessica Alba and Pedro Pascal on a starry front porch during the halftime spectacle. She danced to the music, but it was unclear whether she was singing along during the show, which included performances by Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.

                                    Due to “ambiguity over whether or not Cardi B’s attendance at the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show constituted a qualifying ‘performance,’” Kalshi cited one of its rules in settling the market at the last price before trading was paused: $0.74 for No holders and $0.26 for Yes holders. The platform returned all the money to its users.

                                    Polymarket’s contract was resolved as Cardi B had performed, but the yes was disputed. A final decision on the contract is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

                                    In the CFTC complaint — first reported by the Event Horizon newsletter and posted by Front Office Sports — the trader alleges that Kalshi violated the Commodity Exchange Act with how it resolved the Cardi B contract. The trader — a Yes holder — is seeking $3,700.

                                    A CFTC spokesman declined comment on Wednesday.

                                    The Super Bowl capped a big NFL season for prediction markets.

                                    Kalshi reported a daily record high of more than $1 billion in total trading volume on the day of the game, an increase of more than 2,700% compared to last year’s Super Bowl. The season-long total for all Super Bowl winner futures was $828.6 million, up more than 2,000% from last year.

                                    The increased activity on Sunday caused some deposit issues. Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara posted on X on Monday that the “traffic spike was way bigger than our most optimistic forecasts.” She said the platform had reimbursed processing fees on the effected deposits and added credits to users who experienced delays.

                                    Robinhood Markets highlighted the strength of its prediction markets when it announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full 2025 on Tuesday.

                                    “I think we are just at the beginning of a prediction market super cycle that could drive trillions in annual volume over time,” CEO Vlad Tenev said during an earnings call. “This year is going to be a big year. Olympics are going on right now. World Cup coming in the summer.”

                                    This post appeared first on NBC NEWS